^"'^  PRINCETON,  N.  J.  ^ 


Presented    by  ^r^-rS/^\cX<S/X^^\  VcA-VVoVA 

walker,    J^me^ 


LIYHG  OUESTIOHS. 


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THE 


LITING  QUESTIONS 


OF  THE  AGE. 

BY  AN    AMERICAN  CITIZEN. 

AUTHOR  OF  "the  PHILOSOPHY  OF  THE  PLAN  OF  SALVATION," 

"OOD  REVEALED  IN  CREATION  ANU  IN 

CHRIST,"  ETC. 


J.  N.  CLARKE,  CHICAGO. 
HENRY  A.  SUMNER,  CHICAGO. 
SxMITH  &  ENGLISH,  PHILADELrHIA. 

1870. 


Eotered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  tho  year  1869,  by 

J.    B.    WALKER, 

to  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  tlie  Northern  Dlst.  of  111. 


TO   THE 

YOUNG    MEN 

OF   THE 

CHRISTIAK  JISSOCIATIOKS 

OF  EVERY    LAND, 
ARE  RESPECTFULLY   DEDICATED. 


PREFACE. 

In  the  following  pages  the  author  has  endeavored 
to  meet,  in  a  popular  form,  some  of  the  prevailing 
moral  fallacies  of  the  age. 

It  is  admitted  by  every  one  who  has  observed  the 
state  of  public  opinion  in  relation  to  moral  and  re- 
ligious questions,  that  no  inconsiderable  portion  of 
the  business  men  of  our  cities  and  villages — especially 
the  young  men — are  influenced  by  opinions  which 
are  inconsistent  both  with  sound  reason  and  with 
revelation.  This  volume  is  an  endeavor  to  bring 
back  some  who  have  wandered,  to  a  rational  appre- 
hension of  religious  doctrine  and  duty. 

It  asks  the  forbearance  of  the  dogmatic  theologian. 
The  effort  of  the  author  is  to  give  the  rationale  of  the 
Christian  doctrines  which  he  discusses.  Those  for 
whom  these  pages  are  mostly  designed  have  chosen 
reason,  rather  than  revelation,  as  arbiter  in  matters 
of  faith.  We  have,  therefore,  permitted  reason  to 
speak  freely  in  behalf  of  revealed  truth,  and  to  speak 


VIU  CONTENTS. 

sometimes  in  forms  of  lanf?uao;e  that  we  would  not 
■use  with  those  who  are  believers  in  divine  revelation. 

We  have,  in  the  discussion,  waived  all  questions 
not  involved  in  the  main  issues,  and  have  granted  to 
the  opposers  of  evangelical  religion  all  that  a  fair 
mind  can  ask ;  and  as  the  skeptics  of  our  day  claim 
a  philosophical  basis  for  many  of  their  opinions,  we 
have  endeavored  to  meet  them  on  their  own  ground. 

"  Prove  all  things ;  hold  fast  that  which  is  good,  " 
is  a  Scripture  precept. 

The  discussion  covers  the  living  issues  of  our  times 
"between  the  friends  and  opponents  of  evangelical 
Christianity.  The  draft  of  some  of  the  chapters  was 
originally  in  the  form  of  letters  to  a  friend,  well 
known  in  literary  circles  at  the  east.  This  will  ac- 
count for  occasional  peculiarities  of  phraseology. 
The  quotations  from  "  Discourses  of  Religion,"  will 
be  found  mostly  in  the  first  two  chapters  of  that 
work. 

The  style  is  as  popular  as  the  character  of  the  sub- 
jects would  permit.  If  it  shall  answer  the  ends  of  a 
hand-book  on  the  subject  of  heterodoxy  in  reli- 
gion and  reform,  the  author's  aim  will  be  accom- 
plished. 


00]SrTEE"TS. 

CHAPTER    I. 
Incongruity  of  the  Skeptical  and  Theological  Phi- 
losopliy  of  Liberal  Christians 11 

CHAPTER    II. 
Variations  and  Contradictions  in    the  Theological 
Opinions  of  Skeptical  Unitarians  and  Transcen- 
dentalists 21 

CHAPTER   III. 
Literary,  Mystical,  and  Evangelical  Aspect  of  Lib- 
eral Christianity 29 

CHAPTER    IV. 
Better  Phases  of  Liberal  Christianity 45 

CHAPTER    V. 
Development  of  Divine   Revelation    in    the    three 
Dispensations  of  Power,  Law  and  Love 65 

CHAPTER   VI. 
Personality  of  God 81 

CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Tri-unity  of  the  Divine  Mind ■   102 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    VIII. 
Human  Depravity 122 

CHAPTER    IX. 
Eeconciliation  or  At-one-ment  with  God 142 

CHAPTER    X. 
Future  Retribution 161 

CHAPTER    XI. 
Refutation  of  common  Fallacies  on  the  subject  of 
Future  Retribution 182 

CHAPTER    XII. 

Written  Revelation  a  Necessity  in  order  to  the 
Moral  Development  and  Moral  Progress  of  Man- 
kind    191 

CHAPTER    XIII. 
Divine  Revelation  the  Motive    Power    in    Human 
Progress 212 

CHAPTER    XIY. 

Reformers  and  their  Relation  to  Christianity 248 

CHAPTER  XV. 
"Woman's  Rights,  Woman's  Suffrage 255 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Capital   Punishment 282 


CHAPTER  I. 

IKCONGRUITT  OF  THE  SKEPTICAL  AND  THEOLOGI- 
CAL PHILOSOPHY  OF  LIBEEAL  CHRISTIANS.' 

From  the  time  of  Dr.  Priestley  until  now,  those 
who  have  departed  from  the  evangelical  faith 
have  devised  various  schemes  of  theology  and 
philosophy,  which  they  have  presented  for  the 
acceptance  of  the  world.  Some  of  these  have 
contained  good  suggestions,  and  some  of  them 
criticisms  of  orthodox  views  that  were  needed ; 
others  have  been  wanting  both  in  reason  and 
congruity. 

The  last  of  these  schemes  is  that  of  the  late 
Theodore  Parker,  a  writer  of  unusual  ability, 
and  of  benevolent  impulses.  His  opinions  belong 
to  the  skeptical  side  of  Unitarian,  or  Liberal 
Christianity.  He  was  recognized,  during  his  life- 
time, as  an  exponent  of  the  opinions  of  his  class  ; 
and  although  his  influence  upon  the  denomination 
is,  perhaps,  waning,  still  his  works  are  the  latest 
and  most  popular  of  the  attempts  to  set  forth  a 


12       UNITAEIAN  THEOLOGICAL  PHILOSOPHY. 

new  theology  and  philosopliy  in  regard  to  tne 
knowledge  of  God  and  human  duty.  We  have 
adopted  his  book  as  the  best  and  latest  exhibit 
of  the  theology  of  skeptical  Unitarians  ;  and  the 
recent  valuable  work  of  Dr.  Freeman  Clarke  as 
the  last  and  best  view  of  the  evangelical  side  of 
Liberal  Christianity. 

In  making  an  analysis  and  criticism  of  Mr. 
Parker's  Unitarian  scheme,  we  will  note  some 
passages  in  his  "Discourses  of  Religion, "  They 
will  sufficiently  indicate  the  character  of  tran- 
scendental theologizing,  and  warrant  any  language 
which  may  seem  to  be  severe  in  the  ensuing  para- 
graphs. 

This  liberal  writer  says,  "The  religious  sen- 
timent does  not  disclose  the  character,  and  much 
less  the  nature  and  object,  on  which  it  depends.  " 

Again,  "The  sentiment  of  God,  though  vague 
and  mysterious,  is  always  the  same  in  itself." 

Again,  we  are  told  that  "the  idea  of  God  comes 
of  the  joint  and  spontaneous  action  of  reason  and 
the  religious  sentiment. 

Again,  "The  idea  of  God  as  a  fact  given  in 
man's  nature,  and  affording  a  consistent  repre- 
sentation of  its  object,  is  permanent  and  alike 
in  all." 


"UNITARIAN  THEOLOGICAL  PHILOSOPHY.       13 

Again,  we  are  told  that  "The  idea  of  God  is 
perfect  only  when  the  conditions  are  complied 
with" — but,  in  a  majority  of  cases,  "the  conditions 
are  not  complied  with. " 

Again  he  says, "  The  conception  of  God,  as  man 
expresses  it,  is  always  imperfect." 

And  again,  "The  conception  of  God  is  of  the 
most  various  and  evanescent  character,  and  is 
not  the  same  in  any  two  ages  or  men. " 

And  again,  "The  conception  which  man  forms 
of  God  depends  on  his  character." 

The  absurdity  of  these  passages,  taken  together, 
is  equaled  only  by  other  "intuitions"  of  like 
character  which  follow  them  in  the  same  volume. 

First,  we  are  told  that  the  mind  of  man  has 
three  different  apprehensions  of  God,  which  are 
spoken  of:  sentiment,  idea,  and  conception.  Now, 
if  we  suppose  all  these  to  exist  at  the  same 
time,  as  this  liberal  christian  evidently  does,  the 
notion  is  a  positive  absurdity.  They  might  exist 
consecutively,  combined  with  a  doubt  which  was 
right ;  but  that  they  should  exist  simultaneously 
as  separate  apprehensions,  is  contrary  to  the  laws 
of  mind.  If  they  could  exist  simultaneously, 
the  one  apprehension  would  nullify  the  other. 
One  would  be  various  and  false,  the  other  perma- 


14  LIVING   QUESTIONS   OF   THE   AGE. 

nent  and  true  ;  while  a  third  would  be  mysterious 
and  always  the  same. 

But  if  these  succeed  each  other,  which  is  first, 
and  which  is  most  influential  ?  Mr.  Parker  tells 
us  that  the  conception  of  God  is  different  in  all 
men,  and  always  imperfect.  Does  this  "con- 
ception" obliterate  the  idea  which  is  given  as  a 
fact  in  man's  nature  ?  Of  what  benefit  is  a  true 
idea  if  it  be  obliterated  in  all  men  by  a  conception 
which  is  utterly  false  ?  Besides,  how  can  a  sen- 
timent, the  same  in  all,  and  an  idea  which  is  a 
fact  given  in  man's  nature,  ever  be  varied  or 
perverted  by  a  conception  which  is  difierent  in 
all  men  ?  This  sentiment,  idea,  and  conception 
is  a  sort  of  trinity  never  before  thought  of;  not 
a  trinity  in  unity,  but  a  trinity  in  antagonism 
existing  in  the  same  mind. 

If  man  is  conscious  of  these  tliree  different 
apprehensions  of  God,  either  in  connection  or  in 
succession,  why  does  he  not  choose  one  of  them  ? 
But  if  the  idea  is  a  fact  given  in  his  nature,  then 
he  can  not  obliterate  from  his  mjnd  a  true  knowl- 
edge of  God.  And  again,  would  not  the 
"vagueness"  of  the  sentiment  be  dissipated  by 
the  definiteness  of  the  idea,  or  the  force  of  the 
conception  ? 


UNITARIAN  THEOLOGICAL  PHILOSOPHY.       15 

But  we  are  told  "that  the  idea  of  God  comes 
of  the  joint  and  spontaneous  action  of  reason  and 
the  rehgious  sentiment" — action  of  a  senti- 
ment?— and  again,  "that  this  vague  and 
indefinite  sentiment,  combined  with  ignorance 
and  fear,  leads  to  superstition. ' '  And  then  again, 
"men  can  by  reason  get  but  an  imperfect  knowl- 
edge from  nature;"  yet  fi'om  a  vague  and  mys- 
terious sentiment  and  imperfect  data,  a  Being  of 
wisdom,  power,  and  love,  is  derived  by  the 
reason. 

But  strange  enough,  in  immediate  connection 
with  this,  the  idea  of  God  is  said  to  be  "a  fact 
given  in  man's  nature,  which  affords  a  consistent 
representation  of  its  object,  permanent  and  alike 
in  all. ' '  Thus  it  is  at  the  same  time  an  intuition, 
given  as  a  fact  in  man's  nature,  permanent  and 
alike  in  all,  while  yet  it  is  the  result  of  a  rational 
process,  predicated  upon  a  vague  sentiment  and 
imperfect  data. 

But  strange  again,  we  are  told  in  the  same 
chapter  that  this  idea,  which  is  permanent  and 
alike  in  all,  "depends  upon  conditions  which,  in 
a  majority  of  cases,  are  not  comphed  with." 
How  can  a  fact  which  is  the  same  in  all,  depend 
upon  conditions  ?     Or,  if  the  fact  be  unknown 


16  LIVING  QUESTIONS   OF   THE    AGE. 

until  tlae  conditions  are  complied  with,  how  can 
any  man  rationally  comply  with  the  conditions 
of  the  unknown  ?  The  transcendentalist  must 
solve  such  difficulties  for  his  friends  by  intuition. 
They  are  without  the  limits  of  reason. 

But  the  conception  of  God,  as  we  have  been 
informed,  is  very  different  from  either  the  senti- 
ment or  the  idea.  "  It  is  of  the  most  various  and 
evanescent  character,  and  is  not  the  same  in  any 
two  ages  or  men. "  This  conception  of  God,  we 
are  told,  "depends  on  a  man's  character;"  that 
it  is  bad  or  good  as  a  man  is  bad  or  good ;  and 
that  it  is  "  always  imperfect. ' '  But  subsequently 
we  hear  something  very  different  of  this  concep- 
tion. Our  author  analyzes  it,  and  finds  in  the 
evanescent  and  imperfect  conception,  which  is 
never  the  same  in  any  two  men,  what  he  de- 
nominates the  perfect  character  of  God.  He 
says  :  "At  the  end  of  the  analysis  what  is  left? 
Being — Cause — Knowledge — Love — each  with 
no  conceivable  limitations.  To  express  it  in  a 
word,  a  Being  of  infinite  power,  wisdom,  and 
goodness.  Thus,  by  an  analysis  of  the  conception 
of  God,  we  find  in  fact,  or  by  implication,  just 
what  was  given  synthetically  by  the  intuition  of 
the  reason. " 


UNITARIAN  THEOLOGICAL  PHILOSOPHY.       17 

Now,  as  we  were  taught  that  the  character  of 
the  conception  depends  on  the  character  of  the 
man,  and  that  it  is  never  the  same  in  any  age  or 
in  any  two  men,  whose  conception  has  the  author 
analyzed  ?  And  if  he  finds  this  result  in  one 
case,  according  to  his  own  authority,  he  will 
certainly  find  a  different  one  in  every  other  case. 
And  as  conceptions  have  an  objective  origin,  how 
can  an  analysis  of  a  conception  give  an  intuition 
as  its  result  ? 

But  this  is  not  all  the  author  has  to  teach  on 
the  subject  of  the  divine  nature  and  the  divine 
character.  Such  vagaries  as  the  following  occur 
further  on  in  the  same  volume  : 

"God  can  not  be  personal  and  conscious  as 
Joseph  and  Peter,  and  yet  impersonal  and  un- 
conscious as  moss,"  etc. 

"God  is  the  substantiality  of  matter  1" 

"God  is  the  materiality  of  matter." 

"God  is  universal  being." 

This  is  pantheism  run  mad.  If  God  is  sub- 
stantial, and  material,  and  universal  being,  he 
must  be  developed  into  all  specialities,  such  as 
doves  and  snakes,  eagles  and  alligators,  porcu- 
pines and  pelicans. 
2 


18  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

Again,  "God  is  infinite  mottierliness, "  and 
"is  immanent  in  all  things.  " 

o 

"The  things  of  nature  reflect  his  image,  and 
make  real  the  conception. "  Yet  the  conception, 
we  are  told,  is  of  the  most  various  and  evan- 
escent character. 

Again  we  are  told  that  "we  can  only  know 
God  through  self;"  but,  strange  to  say,  the 
contrary  of  this  is  likewise  true,  for  we  are  in- 
formed that  "there  is  nothing  but  self  between 
us  and  God." 

Even  these  are  not  the  worst  passages  as  speci- 
mens of  rationalism.  There  are  others  in  which 
transcendental  verbiage  becomes  worse  than 
ridiculous.  As  for  example;  "^Nature,  which  is 
the  outness  of  God,  favors  religion,  which  is  the 
inness  of  man ;  and  so  God  works  with  us. 
Heathens  knew  it  many  centuries  ago." 

JSFow,  we  affirm  that  this  is  not  true,  and  we 
postulate  its  antagonism  thus :  "  Conceited  reason 
which  is  the  upness  of  materialism,  favors  diluted 
moonshine,  which  is  the  inness  of  transcendent- 
alism ;  thus  mental  charlatanism  works  with 
vain  minds,  and  men  of  discernment  knew  it 
years  ago. "  In  all  the  attributes  of  nonsense, 
the  first  paragraph  is  more  than  a  match  for  the 


UNITAEIAN  THEOLOGICAL  PHILOSOPHY.        19 

second  one.  I  am  almost  ashamed  to  put  such 
rhodomontade  upon  paper,  but  I  am  more  asham- 
ed of  my  countrymen,  who  hear  and  laud  it. 

There  are,  likewise,  in  this  book  evidences  of 
malignity  toward  the  sacred  writers  and  the  or- 
thodox faith,  which  I  am  sorry  to  see,  and  which 
give  a  darker  hue  to  its  spirit  than  that  given  by 
conceited  or  erratic  intellect.  The  writer  speaks 
of  the  Evangelists  as  "dull  evangelists,"  who 
may  have  thrust  their  own  fancies  into  the  mouth 
of  Jesus;  and  again  he  says  Christ  did  not  call 
Peter  "a  false  liar,  as  he  was." 

Now  that  a  man  can  write  in  this  way  concern- 
ing those  whom  Jesus  called  his  friends  and 
disciples,  and  commissioned  to  be  the  founders 
of  the  Christian  Church,  and  concerning  one  who 
willingly  atoned  for  an  error  by  penitence  and 
martyrdom,  is  an  indicatioft  of  hostility  so  distinct 
that  it  is  painful.  It  may  not  seem  so  to  the 
skeptical  Unitarians,  but  it  will  seem  so  to  every 
one  who  is  in  sympathy  with  the  spirit  and 
principles  of  Christ  and  his  apostles.  It  may 
be  said  that  Christ  spoke  of  Peter  as  a  tempter, 
and  admonished  him  of  his  errors.  But  the 
language  of  admonition  and  rebuke  serves  a 
purpose.     The  language  of  malignity,  when  no 


20  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

good  end  can  be  subserved  by  it,  is  a  different 
thing. 

I  have  written  these  paragraphs  to  estabhsh  a 
principle.  I  have  used  the  book  of  this  promi- 
nent writer  as  the  representative  of  a  class  of 
Unitarians.  If  such  men  would  accept  revelation 
as  a  guide  to  their  reason,  and  the  example  and 
spirit  of  Christ  as  model  and  impulse  in  the 
achievement  of  all  real  good  for  humanity,  surely 
they  would  be  wiser  and  better  men.  The  men 
who  reject  these,  and  yet  profess  to  teach  of  God 
and  duty,  are  necessarily  blind  leaders  of  the 
bhnd. 


CHAPTER  II. 

VAEIATIONS  AND    CONTRADICTIONS  IN    THE  THEO- 
LOGICAL  OPINIONS    OF   SKEPTICS   AND 
TRANSCENDENTALISTS. 

How  is  it  that  some  men  tolerate  dogmatic 
assertion  and  crude  philosophisms  in  such  writers 
as  Carlyle,  Emerson,  and  Parker,  while  on  the 
same  subject  they  require  in  others  mature  and 
accurate  thought?  It  is  possible  that  in  relation 
to  some  things,  the  teachings  of  Christ  may  not 
be  fully  nor  clearly  apprehended,  even  by  those 
who  receive  and  obey  His  instruction ;  thought- 
fully to  examine  those  teachings  is,  therefore, 
lawful  and  proper.  If  there  be  objections  to 
the  views  of  Christians,  let  them  be  distinctly 
and  fairly  stated,  and  upright  minds  will  hear 
and  weigh  the  reasons  alleged  by  objectors.  If 
men  have  a  better  system  to  propound,  let  them 
show  it,  and  old  errors  will  vanish  in  the  light  of 
a  newly-developed  truth.  Let  those  who  do  not 
discriminate  between  good  sense  and  pompous 


22  LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

pretense,  stand  agape  in  the  presence  of  theolog- 
ical bravado  and  assertion;  but  will  intelligent 
men  accept  crude  dicta  from  any  one  on  a  sub- 
ject of  serious  moment,  and  accept  it  with  little 
or  no  examination? 

We  do  not  design  in  thus  writing,  to  disparage 
the  conceded  ability  of  the  authors  to  whom  wo 
have  alluded.  In  some  respects  they  are  able 
and  learned  men ;  and  the  author  of  this  book 
seems  to  me  to  have  been  sincerely  engaged  in 
some  of  the  reform  efforts  of  our  time.  But  any 
mind,  even  that  of  Laplace  or  Bishop  Butler, 
were  it  afloat  on  the  sea  of  skeptical  conjecture, 
without  tlie  pole-star  by  which  reason  might  di- 
rect her  course,  would  become  perplexed,  and 
would  perplex  others  by  its  erratic  wanderings 
on  a  starless  sea.  Note,  therefore,  whether 
there  be  any  evidence  of  crude  and  contradictory 
thought  in  the  teachings  of  the  popular  writer 
already  named: — 

The  author  affirms  that  "Christianity  is  the 
absolute  religion,"  and,that  Jesus  taught  absolute 
religion  to  men.  Now  this  is  obviously  true,  and 
when  rightly  considered,  it  is  absolute  evidence, 
not  only  of  the  Divine  origin,  but  of  the  Divine 
nature  of  Christianity.     Christianity  teaches  ab- 


OPINIONS    OF    SKEPTICS.  23 

solute  obedience  to  God.  It  reveals  infinite  love 
in  Christ.  Love  can  reach  an  expression  no 
hio;her  than  is  given  in  the  crucifixion.  It  is  in 
Christ  stronger  than  death,  hence  it  is  absolute. 
The  Fatherhood  of  God,  the  brotherhood  of  men 
are  taught  in  ultimate  and  absolute  terms.  Filial 
obedience  becomes  absolute  when  we  love  God 
with  all  our  heart;  and  righteousness  is  absolute 
when  we  love  our  neighbor  as  ourself.  There 
can  be  nothing  different,  nothing  better,  nothing 
further  in  morals  and  piety  than  the  example 
and  teachings  of  Christ:  hence  Christianity,  as 
expressed  by  the  life  and  teachings  of  Jesus,  is 
absolute  and  ultimate  religion. 

We  may  afiirm  that  Christianity  is  absolute 
in  another  sense.  It  is  perfectly,  and  alone,  adapt- 
ed to  promote  the  highest  good  of  men.  If 
received  and  obeyed  in  the  spirit  of  its  Author, 
it  combines  as  much  of  happiness  and  active 
usefulness  in  the  life  of  its  recipient  as  his  con- 
stitution will  permit.  Let  it  be  allowed,  then,  in 
the  accepted  sense,  that  Jesus  taught  the  absolute 
religion.  In  this,  the  true  Christian  rejoices. 
This  the  writer  affirms ;  but  yet,  as  we  shall  see, 
he  makes  his  own  statement  both  nugatory  and 
ridiculous.    He  says  in  the  beginning  of  his  book, 


24  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

tliat  "  the  religious  sentiment  does  not  itself  dis- 
close the  character,  and  still  less  the  nature  and 
essence  of  the  object  on  which  it  depends." 

Again,  "The  sentiment  of  God,  though  vague 
and  mysterious,  is  always  the  same  in  itself." 
Further  on,  we  are  told  that  "Christianity  can 
be  no  greater  than  the  religious  sentiment,  though 
it  may  be  less."  The  absolute  religion  of  this 
rationalist,  is  no  greater  than  a  vague  sentiment 
that  does  not  itself  disclose  the  character  of 
God — "and  it  may  be  less."  Verily,  liberal  dis- 
ciples are  in  the  way  of  getting  a  queer  idea  of 
"the  absolute  religion"  taught  by  Jesus. 

But  furthermore,  there  is  not  only  one,  but 
there  are  several  judges  to  aid  in  deciding  that 
"Christianity  is  the  absolute  religion." 

We  are  informed  that  "Christianity  is  to  be 
judged  of  by  the  religious  sentiment — by  other 
forms  of  religion,  and  by  reason."  Strange 
enough,  this — a  religion  to  be  judged  by  a  vague 
sentiment  that  does  not  give  the  character  of 
God!  Christianity  does  give  the  character  of 
God.  How  shall  it  be  judged  by  a  sentiment 
that  does  not?  How  shall  facts  be  judged  by  a 
sentiment?  But  the  writer's  absolute  religion  is 
not  only  to  be  judged  by  reason,   which  is  well 


OPINIONS    OF   SKEPTICS.  25 

enougli  if  he  means  enlightened  reason,  but  it  is 
to  be  judged  by  other  religions.  "We  supposed 
the  absolute  was  the  judge  of  all  else;  but  all 
else  is  said  to  judge  the  absolute. 

We  are  told,  again,  of  a  pecuHarity  of  the  ab- 
solute religion  which  it  is  said  Jesus  of  ]N"azareth 
taught.     He  says  of  Christianity  : 

"It  IS  not  a  system  of  theological  or  moral 
doctrines,  but  a  method  of  religion  and  life.  It 
lays  down  no  positive  creed  to  be  believed  in— 
commands  no  positive  action  to  be  done.  .  It 
would  make  man  perfectly  obedient  to  God,  leav- 
ing his  thoughts  and  actions  for  reason  and  con- 
science to  govern." 

We  have,  then,  an  absolute  Christianity  which 
is  a  method  without  theological  or  moral  doc- 
trines.    What  does  the  writer  intend  to  do  with    ■ 
his  theological  doctrineof  the  religious  sentiment? 
He  tells  us,  too,  at  the  close  of  his  book,  that  he 
wants  "real   Christianity,  the  absolute  religion, 
preached  with  faith,  and  applied  to  hfe."     Faith 
in  what?  ^  A  doctrine  is  a  rule  of  faith  and  prac- 
tice; but  if  "  Christianity  has  neither  theological 
or  moral  doctrine"  in  it,   and  requires  neither 
faith  nor  practice,  how  can  it  be  preached  with 
faith?— how  applied  to  life?     Does  not  Mr.  P. 


26  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

mean  a  transcendental  rather  than  an  aLsohite 
religion.  We  think  this  must  be  so,  as  the 
same  author  teaches  in  another  volum'e,  that 
a  man  may  be  religious  and  not  know  it. 

Mr.  P.  tells  us  that  his  Eibsolute  religion  is  a 
"method  of  life  according  to  conscience  and  rea- 
son." But  a  man's  conscience  is  as  his  faith; 
and  we  are  told  that  the  absolute  religion  of  Mr. 
Parker  prescribes  no  creed  to  be  believed.  The 
method,  then,  must  be  very  various;  and  it  can 
not  be  a  method  of  any  particular  value,  for  our 
liberal  philosopher  tells  us,  in  another  place,  that 
"many  a  savage,  his  hands  smeared  all  over. with 
human  sacrifices,  shall  come  from  the  east  and 
the  west,  and  sit  down  in  the  kingdom  of  God, 
with  Moses  and  Zoroaster,  with  Socrates  and 
Jesus."  The  worst  method  in  the  world,  then, 
will  answer  the  same  end  as  this  writer's  method. 
And  then  we  are  told  that  method  is  all  there  is 
of  Christianity!      0,  shame,  transcendentalists ! 

Our  author's  "absolute  Christianity,"  then,  is 
a  religion  no  greater,  but  which  may  be  less, 
than  a  vague  religious  sentiment.     It  offers  noth- 

O  CD 

ing  to  be  believed.  It  commands  nothing  to  be 
done.  It  is  a  method  of  life;  but  any  other 
method,  even  a  human  sacrifice,  will  answer  the 
same  end ! 


OPINIONS   OF    SKEPTICS.  Z7 

There  are  other  definitions  of  "absolute  Chris- 
tianity," some  of  which  are  better  than  the  fore- 
going. It  would  be  wrong  to  pass  them  without 
notice.  In  one  place  we  are  told,  religion  is 
"perfect  obedience  to  the  law  of  God,  revealed 
in  instinct,  reason,  conscience,  and  the  religious 
sentiment."  The  Mormons  have  this  phase  of 
the  absolute,  putting  instinct  first,  as  Mr.  Parker 
does. 

There  is  another  definition  which  approaches 
the  circle  of  sense,  and  if  the  author  would  ac- 
cept that  "faith  which  works  by  love,"  his  defi- 
nition on  this  page  might  be  accepted.  He  says, 
"Absolute  religion  is  perfect  obedience  to  the  law 
of  God" — "perfect  love  toward  God  and  man 
exhibited  in  a  life  allowing  and  demanding  a 
harmonious  action  of  all  man's  faculties  so  far  as 
they  act  at  all."  This  is  orthodox,  and  it  is  a 
true  saying  though  a  little  blind  as  to  its  import. 
This  is  a  very  different  thing  from  the  absolute 
religion  on  another  page,  which  proposes  nothing 
to  be  believed,  and  requires  nothing  to  be  done. 

Then  again.^  we  have  something  just  the  oppo- 
site of  what  is  said  before.  We  are  told  that 
"  Christianity  difiers  from  other  religions  in  its 
eminently  practical  character."       Agreed,   my 


28  LIVING    QUESTIONS   OF   THE   AGE. 

dear  sir;  eminently  practical,  certainly,  if  we 
take  the  life  and  teachings  of  Christ  as  its  expo- 
nent. Let  us  forget  the  falsehood  and  folly  ot 
"nothing  to  be  believed  and  nothing  command- 
ed," and  listen  to  the  voice  of  the  Master  calling 
us  to  faith  and  duty — "Go  ye,  therefore,  teach 
all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost; 
teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever 
I  have  commanded  you,  and  lo  !  I  am  with 
you  always,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world. 
Amen." 

How  different  the  intent,  the  thought,  and  the 
spirit  of  this  commission  from  the  theological 
vagaries  over  which  we  have  passed !  Here  we 
have  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity — one  name,  yet 
three  persons  in  that  one  name ;  men  to  be  bap- 
tized into  that  tri-personal  name,  and  taught  to 
"  observe  all  things  that  Christ  had  commanded," 
with  the  promise  annexed  of  the  spiritual  pres- 
ence of  Jesus:  "Lo!  I  am  with  you  always, 
even  unto  the  end  of  the  world." 

What  is  this?  Christ,  a  man  like  his  disci- 
ples, and  yet  to  be  with  them,  everywhere  and 
always,  unto  the  end  of  the  world  1 


CHAPTER  III. 

LITEKAEY,  MYSTICAL,  AND  EVANGELICAL   ASPECTS 
OF    LIBERAL    CHEISTIANITY. 

Witli  the  exception  of  Germany,  there  is, 
perhaps,  no  country  in  the  world  where  students 
are  confined  to  the  study  of  ideas  in  text  books 
so  long  and  so  intensely,  as  in  America — more 
especially  in  the  New  England  States.  A  boy 
of  five  or  six  years  old  enters  the  graded  schools 
of  our  cities,  and  villages,  and  graduates  with 
about  as  good  an  education  as  the  English  dis- 
senters give  their  sons,  when  they  are  considered 
fitted  for  any  of  the  trades  or  professions.  I 
happen  to  know  from  actual  observation,  that  an 
education  which  fits  a  young  man  for  the  uni- 
versity in  the  dissenting  schools  of  England,  is 
generally  but  little  better,  in  the  average  of 
study,  than  that  possessed  by  the  graduate  from 
the  graded  common  schools  of- our  country. 

But  the  New  England  boy,  after  he  graduates 
from  the  people's  college,  often  enters  other  in- 


30  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    A.GE. 

stitutions  wHcli  give  wliat  is  called  a  libeial 
education.  Here  he  spends  five  or  six  years 
more,  a  considerable  portion  of  the  time  in  the 
study  of  dead  languages,  in  which  he  sees  the 
ideas  of  the  author,  as  the  blind  man  saw  "trees 
walking."  Not  because  the  dead  languages  are 
at  fault,  but  because  the  subtle  shades  of  thought, 
often  represented  by  adjuncts,  and  forms  of  a 
sentence,  can  not  be  clearly  conveyed  by  a  trans- 
lation. The  young  man  translates  and  approxi- 
mates the  sense  of  the  passage,  and  learns  to  be 
satisfied  with  phrases  composed  of  words  that 
have  no  precise  import.  Thus  he  learns  to  use 
his  own  language  in  involved  sentences,  which 
sometimes  have  a  very  vague  and  undetermined 
sense.  The  body  of  the  sentence  is  pretentious, 
but  the  soul  is  vapid  or  volatile;  As  in  the 
Dunciad — 

"  He  writes  about  a  thing  till  all  men  doubt  it. 
And  writes  about  it,  goddess,  and  about  it." 

After  his  collegiate  course  the  same  student 
often  goes  to  a  professional  school  and  spends 
two  or  three  additional  years,  when  his  mind  is 
considered  by  the  recluse  professors  as  fully  dis- 
ciplined, and  his  education  complete: — complete 
in  the  same  sense  that  a  man  who  understands 


ASPECTS   OF   LIBERAL    CHRISTIANITY.        31 

the  book  of  Oliver  Evans  wliich  contains  the 
perfect  theory  of  a  grist  mill,  becomes  thereby  a 
practical  mill-wright.  Such  men  are  often  edu- 
cated out  of  unison  with  practical  ideas,  and  out 
of  sympathy  with  the  common  sense  of  the 
people. 

Such  statesmen,  lecturers,  and  preachers,  are 
not  uncommon  in  this  country,  and  occasionally 
make  their  appearance  in  Europe.  The  light  of 
their  thought  is  the  glint  of  the  prolonged  gossa- 
mer, not  the  sheen  of  the  solid  gold.  We  have 
had  occasion  to  test  the  difference  between 
the  thought  of  a  self-educated,  practical  mind, 
and  some  of  the  best  minds  of  the  class  above 
referred  to.  In  the  political  campaign  preceding 
the  second  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  it 
became  my  business  to  canvass  the  senatorial 
district  in  which  I  reside,  in  behalf  of  Lincoln 
and  Johnson.  I  read,  of  course,  the  speeches  of 
prominent  men  on  the  situation  of  affairs,  and 
the  questions  at  issue  in  the  campaign : — among 
others,  some  of  the  elaborate  speeches  of  Charles 
Sumner.  Ten  sentences  would  usually  express 
all  that  could  be  made  of  practical  use  in  a  half- 
hour  speech  of  the  classic  senator,  while  in  a 
speech  of  Colfax,   there  were  not  ten  sentences 


32  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

that  could  be  omitted  ;  and  the  sententious  utter- 
ance of  Abraham  Lincoln,  that  "it  is  always 
dangerous  to  swap  horses  wliile  crossing  a 
stream,"  had  more  efficacy  in  determining  the 
minds  of  enquiring  voters  in  that  election,  than 
all  the  declamation  and  rhetoric  of  men  wliose 
principles  might  be  right,  but  whose  method  of 
dealing  with  impending  issues  were  Utopian  or 
impracticable. 

I  do  not,  as  you  know,  say  these  things  to 
disparage  learning,  but  to  indicate  the  intrinsic- 
ally valueless  character  of  rhetorical  disquisitions 
in  regard  to  the  good  of  men;  and  more  especial- 
ly in  regard  to  such  subjects  as  relate  to  tho 
religion  of  Jesus  Christ. 

This  class  of  men  almost  necessarily  miscon- 
ceive the  character  of  Jesus,  and  the  redemption 
from  sin  which  His  religion  offers  to  men.  They 
project,  from  their  own  plane  of  thought,  a 
character  for  the  Messiah  that  suits  themselves, 
and  they  do  not  seem  to  see  that  the  ideal  crea- 
tion of  their  fancy  could  never  save  men  from 
fiin.  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  a  carpenter's  son. 
He  was,  no  doubt,  skilled  in  useful  labor.  His 
body  was  compacted,  not  by  dumb  bells  or  gym- 
nastic exercises,  but  by  manual  labor,  prompted 


ASPECTS   OF    LIBEKAL   CHRISTIANITY.        33 

by  an  intelligent  and  worthy  motive.  His  mind 
was  informed  and  disciplined,  not  by  books  on- 
ly, but  by  contact  with  men  and  things  in  the 
actual  and  practical  movements  of  life.  The 
world  and  the  church  will,  in  the  end,  learn  by 
the  operation  of  free  schools  and  free  labor,  that 
discipline  of  body  as  well  as  of  mind  is  in  order 
to  the  best  and  most  useful  production  of  thought. 
There  is  bright  thought  that  is  light  thought, 
(useful  in  its  place;)  and  good  thought  that  is 
crude  thought;  and  transcendental  thought  that  is 
nonsendental  thought.  Such  minds  will  always 
fail  to  compass  fully  even  the  temporal  aims  of 
the  Redeemer;  much  less  can  they  appreciate 
the  spiritual  import  of  His  work. 

ISFo  man  can  get  the  right  conception  of  Jesus 
or  His  gospel,  while  he  labors  to  elevate  him- 
self in  the  estimation  of  his  fellow  men,  rather 
than  to  engage  in  labors  to  bring  his  fellow  men 
up  towards  his  own  sphere  of  knowledge  and 
love.  Hear  the  Christian  philosopher  of  Tar- 
sus, learned  in  the  schools  and  in  tent  making — 
"Where  is  the  wise?  Where  is  the  scribe? 
Where  is  the  disputer  of  this  world?  Hath  not 
God  made  foolish  the  wisdom  of  this  world?" 

No   such  writer  as  the  elegant  and  learned 


34  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF   THE   AGE. 

Rousseau  can  understand  Christ,  nor  can  any 
such  as  the  pretentious  writers  of  the  transcen- 
dental schooL  "  No  man  can  call  Jesus,  Lord, 
but  by  the  Holy  Ghost."  Even  His  disciples 
did  not  fully  know  Him  as  a  spiritual  MessiaJi 
until  after  the  resurrection.  How,  therefore,  can 
those  know  Him  who  believe  in  no  resurrection  ? 
His  lordship  is  over  the  spirit  of  men.  His  re- 
demption, that  of  the  soul  from  sin.  His  religion, 
that  which  binds  the  present  to  the  future  life. 
His  sacrifice,  to  meet  a  spiritual  want,  not  an 
intellectual  deduction.  The  profoundest  philos- 
ophy— meaning  thereby  the  deepest  insight  into 
the  nature  and  wants  of  the  soul,  will,  in  the 
end,  declare  Jesus  to  be  the  revelation  of  what 
God  is,  and  what  man  should  be.  But  the  phos- 
phorescent light  of  vain  philosophy,  or  rather 
the  philosophy  of  vain  pretentious  minds,  can 
never  attain  unto  a  true  knowledge  of  Christ. 

Such  writers  as  Mr.  Emerson  will  always 
have  admirers.  There  is  often  eloquence,  and 
beauty,  and  poetry  in  their  speech.  Such  wri- 
ters as  Thoreau  paint  nature  in  moonlight — 
sometimes  in  diluted  moonlight.  It  would  be 
injustice  to  expect  from  this  class  of  writers  log- 
ical deduction,  or  discriminating  analysis.    Their 


ASPECTS    OF    LIBERAL    CHEISTIANITY.         35 

gifted  muse  lives  apart  from  the  matter-of-fact 
things  of  Hfe  and  death.  Until  such  writers 
become  little  children — which  is  more  difficult 
than  it  is  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven — they  can  neither  judge  of  the 
spiritual  or  the  natural,  as  revealed  in  Jesus. 

A  friend  of  the  writer  selected  the  followino; 
from  the  morning  Daily  Register,  of  London, 
as  rich  specimens  of  the  wealth  of  the  transcen- 
dental mind.  The  critic  was  evidently  disposed 
to  see  the  fallacies  and  vagaries,  rather  than  the 
excellencies  in  Mr.  Emerson.  We  give  them 
with  the  critique,  as  illustrative  of  preceding 
statements.     He  says : 

"Some  disciple  of  the  Atlantic  school  has  se- 
lected from  Emerson's  Conduct  of  Life,  the 
following  passages,  which  he  calls  nuggets  of 
gold.  If  these  nuggets  are  specimens  from  tlie 
mine,  we  doubt  about  its  being  a  rich  one.  Let 
us  analyze  some  of  them,  and  see  if  they  are  not 
pyrites.     Here  are  some  of  the  nuggets." 

"It  is  the  privilege  of  any  human  work  that  is 
well  done,  to  invest  the  doer  with  a  certain 
haughtiness.  He  can  well  afford  not  to  concili- 
ate, whose  faithful  work  will  answer  for  him." 

'  This  is  both  weak  and  wicked,  and  contrary  to 


36  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE   AGE. 

tlie  maxims  of  the  wise  and  good  in  all  ages. 
When  a  human  work  is  well  done,  it  will  not 
produce  a  ' '  certain  haughtiness ' '  in  the  mind  of 
any  but  a  fool.  Humility  is  the  constant  attend- 
ant of  true  greatness.  Haughtiness  produces 
evil  in  the  haughty  mind,  and  is  offensive  and 
injurious  to  others.' 

"People  seem  not  to  see  that  their  opinion  of 
the  world  is  also  a  confession  of  character.  We 
can  only  see  what  we  are,  and  if  we  misbehave 
we  suspect  others." 

'  If  this  be  true,  then  Christ,  and  all  men,  both 
good  and  evil,  who  have  given  a  different  opin- 
ion, are  untrue.  The  Savior  and  the  good  in  all 
ages  'have  confessed'  a  very  bad  character  ac- 
cording to  this  nugget.' 

"  Why  should  I  hasten  to  solve  every  riddle 
which  life  offers  me?  I  am  well  assured  that  the 
Questioner,  which  brings  me  so  many  problems, 
will  bring  the  answers  also  in  due  time." 

'Will  he?  Well,  let  the  disciples  of  the  phi- 
losopher sit  down  and  wait.  In  'due  time' 
they  will  become  the  wisest  of  men.' 
' '  The  same  correspondence  that  is  between  thirst 
in  the  stomach,  and  water  in  the  spring,  exists 
between  the  whole  of  man  and  the  whole  ol 
nature." 


ASPECTS    OF    LIBERAL    CHRISTIANITY.         37 

'Very  likely !  The  whole  of.  nature  is  a  very 
'large  subject' — and  as  man  is  a  'part  of  the 
whole,  whose  body  nature  is,  and  God  the  soul,' 
there  will  be  the  same  correspondence  between 
him  and  nature  that  there  is  between  thirst  in 
the  stomach  and  water  in  the  spring.  So  far  as 
this  is  correct,  it  could  be  affirmed  just  as  truly 
of  a  goose,  as  of  a  man.' 

"No  secret  can  be  kept  in  the  civilized  world. 
Society  is  a  masked  ball,  where  every  one  hides 
his  real  character  and  reveals  it  by  hiding." 

'Well,  this  is  a  new  discovery.  Those  that 
try  to  keep  secrets  thereby  reveal  them.  If 
'  no  secret  can  be  kept  in  the  civilized  world,' 
we  shall  know  each  other  perfectly,  hereafter. 
Nobody  can  be  deceived !  What  arrant  non- 
sense!' 

"Novels  are  as  useful  as  Bibles,  if  they  teach 
you  the  secret  that  the  best  of  life  is  conversa- 
tion, and  the  greatest  success  is  confidence,  or 
perfect  understanding  between  sincere  people." 
'  Novels  are  better  than  Bibles  for  this  purpose. 
The  Bible  certainly  does  not  teach  this  secret. 
It  was  both  m^ade  .and  revealed  by  this  new 
teacher  of  the  '  Conduct  of  Life.'  * 

"A  man  begins  life  by  trying  to  prevent  men 


38  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

from  cheating  him,  and  ends  by  ceasing  to  cheat 
them." 

*If  this  be  true,  we  have  got  rid  of  all  the  old 
rogues.  And  besides,  the  old  maxim  regarding 
the  difficulty  which  once  was  supposed  to  exist 
in  regard  to  the  Ethiopian  changing  his  skin, 
has  been  overcome.  Shame  on  the  men  who 
keep  their  mouths  open,  to  swallow  such  preten- 
tious nonsense." 

There  may  be  as  much  of  conceited  intellect 
in  these  criticisms  as  in  the  sentences  themselves ; 
but  they  serve  to  reveal  the  vapid  character  of 
the  aliment  served  and  accepted  by  literary  cir- 
cles of  the  "radical  liberal,"  or  "broad  church" 
men  of  the  East, 

I  am  told  that  Unitarians,  and  the  liberal 
and  radical  religionists  of  New  England,  are 
mostly  the  admiring  readers  of  Emerson  and 
other  moonsendentalists.  Ought  not  enquirers  of 
sound  sense  to  find  in  this  fact  a  subject  of  re- 
flection? 

Mr.  Emerson's  article  in  the  North  American 
Review  on  "Originality  in  Literature,"  the  Lon- 
don Review  notices,  and  after  showing  that  his 
remarks  about  Coleridge  as  a  writer  are  utterly 
farcical  and  untruthful,  the  burden  of  the  article 
is  quoted  and  noticed,  as  follows;  — 


ASPECTS    OF    LIBERAL    CHEISTIANITY.        39 

"In  making  out  liis  case,  Mr.  Emerson  does 
not  embarrass  himself  much  by  studying  the  gen=- 
ealogical  tree  of  a  notion,  although  he  can  not 
resist  the  temptation  of  bringing  Plato  and  Baron 
Munchausen  together.  This  sort  of  exercise 
belongs  to  the  order  of  inquiry,  which  institutes 
a  search  after  things  not  generally  known.  But 
there  is  one  amazing  inconsistency  in  the  article. 
After  we  have  read  of  the  '  assimilating  power,' 
and  begin  to  understand  that  genius  is  fed,  and 
requires  to  be  fed,  that  it  can  not  intellectually 
survive  on  air,  and  that  it  must  necessarily  be 
indebted,  as  every  thing  on  this  earth  is  indebt- 
ed to  its  surroundings,  we  come  across  such  a 
sentence  as  this,  a  Bulwerian  sentence,  orna- 
mented with  capital  letters :  '  The  divine  resides 
in  the  new.  The  divine  never  quotes,  but  is, 
and  creates.  The  profound  apprehension  of  the 
Present  is  Genius,  which  makes  the  Past  forgot- 
ten.' We  don't  know  what  the  'divine'  is  here, 
and  as  for  the  conundrum  hidden  between  the 
two  large  Ps  of  Past  and  Present,  it  must  be 
given  up;  but  if  there  is  a  gleam  of  sense,  in 
the  passage,  it  discloses  an  idea  altogether  incon- 
sistent with  what  follows ;  '  Genius  is  in  the  first 
instance,  sensibility,  the  capacity  of  receiving 


40  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE   AGE. 

just  impressions  from  tlie  external  world,  and 
the  power  of  coordinating  these  after  the  laws  of 
thought.'  This  is  a  clear  and  a  fine  definition, 
(not  of  genius,  but  of  common  sense,)  but  does 
it  not  extinguish  that  word  create?  Mr.  Emer- 
son knows  well  that  we  have  nothing  to  do  with 
creating,  that  the  phrase  is  loosely  and  absurdly 
used;  he  knows  it  so  well,  that  he  writes  this 
essay  in  point  of  fact  to  prove  that  '  assimilation' 
is  all  we  can  justly  speak  of,  and  yet  he  must  jar 
the  whole  tone  of  a  harmonious  and  symmetrical 
essay,  in  order  to  introduce  a  characteristic  flour- 
ish of  grand  nonsense."  • 

Now  is  it  possible  for  such  minds  to  under- 
stand Jesus  of  Nazareth?  Can  the  writer  of 
such  platitudes  understand  the  Teacher  of  the 
beatitudes?  A  Messiah  projected  from  such 
minds  Would  be  a  fantastic  philosophist  that  dies 
with  his  generation,  not  the  author  of  a  life-giv- 
ing faith.  "The  first  Adam  was  of  the  earth, 
earthy,  the  second  Adam  is  the  Lord  from 
heaven." 

No  man  of  common  sense  can  believe  that 
philosophers  of  this  school  can  understand  Christ, 
or  believe  in  Him.  Renan,  as  a  historian,  occu- 
pies a   place    for   fairness    and  learning   far  in 


ASPECTS    OF    LIBEEAL   CHEISTIANITY.         41 

advance  of  the  host  of  skeptical  writers  of  the 
school  to  which  he  belongs.  In  the  province  of 
history,  as  written  by  Mark  and  Matthew,  not 
by  John,  he  is  eminent;  but  the  spiritual  nature 
of  Christ's  work,  such  men  can  not  compass.  A 
man  who  reads  the  second  chapter  of  first  Cor- 
inthians, must  either  believe  that  such  minds  can 
not  understand  Christ,  or  that  Paul  did  not  un- 
derstand Him.  After  reading  such  portions  of 
the  scripture,  one  would  think  that  the  eagerness 
of  the  world  to  hear  what  such  writers  say  about 
Christ,  would  appear  absurdly  foolish  even  to 
themselves.  Paul,  holy  and  profound,  learned, 
and  earnest,  affirms,  as  do  the  other  sacred  wri- 
ters, that  the  "saving  health"  of  the  gospel  is 
in  its  spirit,  not  in  its  letter.  "The  letter  killetb 
but  the  spirit  giveth  life."  The  gospel  is  a 
prescription  for  the  spiritual  wants  and  moral 
diseases  of  men.  Surely,  a  man  may  write  a 
history  of  the  physician,  who  neither  understands 
the  elements,  nor  the  effects  of  his  medicine. 

It  is  not  pleasant  to  write  thus  of  a  class  of 

men,    inspired  men,  in  transcendental   phrase, 

■  many   of  whom,    in   certain  connections,    have 

spoken  well  and  truly  of  Christianity.  We  wish 

to  render  them  the  respect  which  is  their  due — 


42  LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF   THE   AGE. 

tlie  same  respect  that  we  render  to  the  man  who 
places  tlie  works  of  artists  in  his  mansion,  to 
reveal  to  others  his  wealth  and  his  taste,  beside 
the  man  who  takes  the  orphan  from  indigence  to 
his  home,  and  sets  in  a  frame  of  comely  apparel, 
the  living  lineaments  of  a  picture  which  art  can 
only  imitate.  He  has  the  living  picture,  beau- 
tified in  mind  and  body,  not  for  the  eye  of  others, 
but  for  love  to  human  souls.  Both  classes  have 
their  merit  and  reward.  One  is  a  christian  of 
the  church  of  society,  where  "the  poor  have  not 
the  gospel  preached  unto  them;"  or  they  are 
reformers  of  the  rhetorical  school ;  or  those  who 
take  christian  newspapers  to  read  advertisements 
of  fashionable  jewelry,  and  sermons  of  gifted 
preachers,  on  subjects  that  sap  the  foundations, 
but  which  never  convicted  any  one  of  sin.  The 
other  is  a  christian  such  as  was  Oberlin,  and  the 
Countess  of  Huntington,  William  Penn,  Arthur 
Tappan,  0.  G.  Finney,  and  thousands  of  kindred 
hearts  in  the  church  of  God. 

I  would  by  no  means  disparage  the  beauties 
of  art.  In  hours  of  rest,  during  an  earnest  life, 
I  have  often  lingered  in  the  galleries  where  the 
art-gems  of  the  world  have  been  collected.  I 
have  two  sweet  faces  that  always  seem  to  look 


ASPECTS    OF,   LIBERAL    CHEISTIANITY.         43 

on  me ;  one  the  memorial  of  a  pure  Kearted  child 
now  in  heaven,  the  other  of  one  now  living; 
both  were  pictures  which  God  had  painted  in  the 
rough ;  we  took  them  home  to  develop  their  ca- 
pacities and  beauties  in  our  sight,  and  for  His 
glory.  I  am  sorry  for  the  christian  who  talks 
of  pictures,  and  yet  places  no  living  ones  in  his 
jDarlors. 

Jesus  does  not  discourage  delicacy,  taste,  or 
amusements  that  promote  human  comfort  or 
innocent  enjoyment.  His  mode  of  life  and  ap- 
parel— His  sympathizing  with  her  who  brouglit 
the  precious  ointment — His  rejoicing  with  those 
who  rejoiced  at  the  marriage  feast,  indicate  that 
no  one  should  despise  the  innocent  pleasures  of 
sense,  derived  from  natural  objects;  but  the  men 
and  women  of  the  upper  vulgar  society,  deformed 
by  fashion,  and  paganized  with  jewels,  are  no 
more  like  the  gospel  pictures  of  the  good  Samar- 
itan, and  the  woman  of  the  "meek  and  quiet 
spirit,  whose  adorning  was  not  that  of  wearing 
of  gold,  and  putting  on  of  apparel,"  than  Hype- 
rion is  like  a  satyr. 

Transcendentalism  does  for  the  strong  mird, 
what  fashion  does  for  a  weak  mind;  only  one 
manifests  itself  in  the  intellect,  the  other  in  the 


44  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

person.  Not  only  prose,  but  poetry  of  cultured 
minds,  loses  conscience  by  lack  of  faith.  John 
G.  Whittier  bas,  no  doubt,  dwelt  with  delight 
on  the  sweet  passages  in  some  of  Longfellow's 
shorter  poems ;  but  for  all  the  world,  I  venture 
to  say,  he  would  not  be  the  author  of  a  poem, 
untrue  in  imagery,  and  utterly  devoid  of  moral 
and  music.  Nor  would  he  eviscerate  the  off- 
spring of  his  own  brain  to  propitiate  either 
Mammon  or  Moloch.  And  the  popular  preachers 
and  writers,  whether  transcendental  or  evangel- 
ical, who  are  in  this  category,  are  merely  the 
auctioneers  of  Vanitv  Fair. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

BETTER   PHASES    OF    LIBERAL  CHRISTIANITY. 

We  turn  now  a  moment  from  this  seeming 
digression  to  a  better  phase  of  Hberal  Christiani- 
ty; to  one  which  gives  assurance  of  a  better 
future  for  the  evangehcal  side  of  the  Unitarian 
denomination.  I  have  before  me,  the  most  re- 
cent statement  of  this  class  of  hberal  christians, 
in  the  able  and  valuable  book  of  James  Freeman 
Clark,  of  Boston,— "The  Truth  and  Errors  of 
Ortho4oxy,"  There  are  so  many  things  in  this 
book  that  fall  within  the  circle  prescribed  by  a 
true  faith,  and  so  many  things  by  which  all  par- 
ties might  learn  charity,  and  a  better  phraseolo- 
gy in  announcing  their  doctrines,  that  I  hesitate 
to  make  needful  strictures,  and  would  prefer 
leaving  the  author  and  his  party  to  follow  the 
impulse  which  they  seem  to  have,  to  make  pro- 
gress in  the  right  direction.  I  shall  speak, 
therefore,  in    regard    to  the    failures  of  the  vol- 


46  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

ume  as  sliortcomings,  rather  than  fallacies — 
some  of  them  as  indices  pointing  in  the  direction 
of  that  saving  faith,  which  "works  by  love  and 
])urifies  the  heart." 

There  are  some  things  said  among  the  many, 
in  regard  to  inspiration,  that  are  well  and  truly 
written.  There  are  some  things  in  regard  to  the 
verbal  and  .equal  inspiration  of  the  books  of  the 
Old  Testament  especially,  which  will  do  good, 
But  there  is  failure  to  reach  the  truth  in  regard 
to  the  New  Testament,  as  an  ultimate  and  per- 
fect dispensation,  and  in  regard  to  the  perfect 
instruction  and  authority  of  the  apostolic  writ- 
ings. This  is  a  failure  that  necessarily  injures 
progress  in  holiness,  just  so  far  as  it  impairs  con- 
fidence in  the  New  Testament,  as  truth  from 
God. 

The  author  speaks,  as  transcenclentalists  do, 
of  the  intellectual  gifts  of  distinguished  men,  as 
a  species  of  inspiration.  This  expanding  of  the 
definition,  darkens  counsel,  and  is  in  itself  a 
misnomer,  because  those  who  use  it  would  refuse 
to  apply  it  to  the  great  intellects  of  malefactors, 
and  artists  of  evil,  who  have  appeared  in  the 
world. 

After  making;  a  clear  discrimination  in  such 

o 


ASPECTS    OF    LIBERAL     CHRISTIANITY.         47 

words  as,  "the  source  of  the  one  inspiration  is 
the  works  of  nature,  the  source  of  the  otlier, 
the  inward  Christ;"  the  writer  in  parts  of  his 
discussion  has  such  sentences  as  tlie  following: 
"  The  writers  of  the  New  Testament  had  no  diffi- 
erent  inspiration  from  that  of  all  other  chris- 
tians." 

"Christ  does  not  say  that  those  who  are  to 
write  the  gospels  or  the  epistles,  shall  be  guard- 
ed against  all  possible  error." 

"The  writers  of  the  Bible  no  where  claim 
that  they  were  inspired  to  write  these  books." 

Again,  the  author  admits  that  authority  is 
necessary  in  order  to  the  efficacy  of  truth,  but 
the  chief  authority  he  gives  to  the  truth  of  the 
New  Testament  teachers,  is  their  better  knowl- 
edge of  the  facts:  The  self-evidencino;  nature  of 
truth  itself,  apart  from  its  authorship,  and  the 
testimony  of  the  church  in  all  ages,  that  the  in- 
spired writings  are  profitable  for  instruction  in 
righteousness. 

Now,  as  we  shall  see,  the  author's  statements 
on  these  subjects  taken  together,  fail  to  come 
up  either  to  the  requirements  of  reason,  or  the 
statements  of  scripture.  It  is  a  self-evident 
proposition  that  if  the   New  Testament  dispen- 


48  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

sation  is  from  God,  it  will  be  adapted  perfectly 
to  accomplish  its  end.  But  no  specific  end  can 
be  accomplished  by  truth,  unless  that  truth  is 
fitted  in  itself  when  applied  to  the  human  soul, 
,  to  produce  the  end  sought.  No  matter  what  we 
may  conceive  that  end  to  be,  a  development  of 
holiness  in  individual  minds  and  in  the  world, 
as  stated  in  the  scriptures,  or  some  other  end;  if 
God  be  the  author  of  the  dispensation,  the 
means  would  be  adapted  to  accomplish  the  divine 
design.  To  suppose  that  perfect  love  and  obe- 
dience could  be  achieved  by  an  imperfect  revela- 
tion of  truth,  is  the  height  of  unreason. 

The  inspiration  of  the  New  Testament  may 
adapt  truth  to  minds  of  dififerent  temperaments, 
different  degrees  of  knowledge,  and  to  different 
degrees  of  advancement  in  the  same  mind.  In- 
deed, this  would  be  necessary  in  a  system  of 
inspiration.  It  may  even  be  necessary  that  there 
should  be  passaged  which  contain  no  saving 
truth;  and  passages  so  presented  as  to  try  the 
intellect  and  the  heart,  especially  the  vain  intel- 
lect, and  the  foolish  heart.  There  should  be 
problems  and  parables  as  well  as  precepts  and 
principles  in  a  system  of  inspiration :  some  open 
now,  others  to  be  progressively  opened  in  the 


ASPECTS   OF    LIBEEAL   CHKISTIANITY.        49 

future;  but  that  God  would  give  authority  to 
truth  not  perfectly  adapted  to  accomplish  His  end. 
is  preposterous. 

The  inspiration  of  Jesus  would  be  of  no  value 
to  the  world,  if  the  writers  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment were  not  guides  to  a  correct  presentation 
of  His  thoughts,  and  to  that  interpretation  of 
them  that  would  accomplish  good  both  present 
and  future.  In  the  gospel  of  the  Hebrews  it  is 
written,  "God  hath  in  these  last  days  spoken 
unto  us  by  His  Son."  But  what  God  has 
said  through  His  Son,  we  hear  only  in  the  words 
of  the  apostles.  This  is  according  to  the  Savior's 
express  appointment  and  design.  Immediately 
before  His  ascension  into  the  spiritual  world  He 
said,  "Ye  shall  receive  power  after  that  the 
Holy  Ghost  is,  come  upon  you ;  and  ye  shall  be 
witnesses  unto  me,  both  in  Jerusalem  and  in  all 
Judea,  and  in  Samaria,  and  unto  the  uttermost 
*part  of  the  earth."  Did  not  these  witnesses 
tell  "the  truth,  the  whole  truth,  and  nothing  but 
the  truth?" 

It  is  so  far   from  being  the  whole  truth  that 

the  apostles  do  not  claim  inspiration,  in  any 

other  sense  than  that  of  possessing  the  gifts  of 

the  Spirit  common  to  all  true  believers,   that 

i 


50  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF   THE    AGE. 

Jesus  especially  declares  that  they  were  selected 
not  only  to  be  His  witnesses,  because  they  had 
been  with  Him  from  the  beginning;  but  that 
the  especial  end  for  which  they  were  chosen  and 
ordained,  was  that  they  might  transmit  His  doc- 
trines to  the  future;  and  He  adds  the  promise, 
that  in  order  to  do  this,  His  words  should  be 
brought  supernaturally  to  their  memory.  The 
words  of  Christ  on  this  subject  are  so  plain  that 
it  is  passing  strange  that  writers,  not  only  liber- 
al, but  evangelical,  should  have  so  long  failed  to 
discern  the  import  of  the  statement. 

Jesus  says  to  His  disciples  when  about  to 
leave  them  in  the  world,  "Henceforth  I  call  you 
not  servants,  for  the  servant  knoweth  not  what 
his  Lord  doeth,  but  I  have  called  you  friends, 
for  all  things  that  I  have  heard  of  my  Father,  I 
have  made  known  unto  you.  Ye  have  not  cho- 
sen me,  but  I  have  chosen  you,  and  ordained 
you,  that  ye  should  go  and  bring  forth  fruit,  and* 
that  your  fruit  should  remain."  That  is,  the 
truth  of  the  dispensation  was  communicated  to 
them,  not  as  the  common  servants  of  Christ, 
but  as  friends  who  had  learned  all  things  from 
the  Father  by  the  Son,  that  they  might  use  their 
knowledge  for  His  glory.     The  Holy  Spirit  in- 


ASPECTS    OF    LIBERAL    CHEISTIANITY.         51 

spired  holy  tliouglit,  while  providence  furnished 
the  historic  medium.  One  is  the  body,  the  other 
the  soul. 

Jesus  chose  and  ordained  the  disciples  in  a 
peculiar  sense,  not  true  of  others.  For  what 
purpose?  That  they  should  go  and  bring  forth 
fruit,  and  that  their  fruit  should  remain.  Now 
this  fruit  can  mean  nothing  else  than  the  insti- 
tutions they  should  establish,  and  the  gospels 
and  epistles  they  should  write.  Hence  the  work 
and  words  of  the  apostles  remain  in  the  churches, 
and  will  remain  forever.  Christ  beyond  contro- 
versy speaks  of  the  truths  that  He  communica- 
ted to  them.  This  is  enough  for  us  to  know. 
"He  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear  what 
the  Spirit  says  to  the  churches." 

Not  only  this,  but  the  promises  annexed  to 
their  commission  are  so  explicit  that  it  is  difficult 
to  misapprehend  their  import.  It  was  promised 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  came  in  the  name  of 
Christ,  and  who  was  the  spiritual  Christ  after 
the  Pentecost:  "He  shall  guide  you  into  all 
truth," — "He  shall  bring  all  things  to  your  re- 
membrance whatsoever  I  have  told  you."  "He 
shall  show  you  things  to  come."  "  When  the 
Comforter  is    come,  whom  I  will  send  unto  you 


52  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF   THE   AGE. 

from  the  Father,  even  the  Spirit  of  Truth, 
wliich  proceedeth  from  the  Father,  He  shall  tes- 
tify of  me,  and  ye  shall  bear  witness  because  yo 
have  been  with  me  from  the  beginning."  This 
is  clearly  and  designedly  inspiration  beyond 
that  of  common  christians.  This  is  all  the 
friends  of  a  divine  revelation  need  to  claim. 
Truth,  impulse,  and  guidance  from  God,  for  all 
ages  of  the  church  till  the  end  of  time. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add,  that  the  apos- 
tles themselves  were  conscious  of  divine  guidance 
in  communicating  the  truth.  In  the  first  letter 
to  the  Corinthians,  Paul  says,  "Now  we  have 
received  not  the  spirit  of  the  world,  but  the 
Spirit  which  is  of  God,  that  we  miglit  know  the 
things  that  are  freely  given  us  of  God;  which 
things  also  we  speak,  not  in  the  words  which 
man's  wisdom  teacheth,  but  which  the  Holy 
Ghost  teacheth."  And  Peter  in  his  second  let- 
ter— ' '  Be  mindful  of  the  words  which  were  spo- 
ken before  by  the  holy  prophets,  and  of  the 
commandments  of  us,  the  apostles  of  the  Lord 
and  Savior." 

Whatever,  therefore,  may  be  said  by  learned 
7Tien  concerning  parts  of  the  Old  Testament,  and 
passages  of  the  New,  there  can  be  no  reasonable 


ASPECTS    OF    LIBERAL    CHETSTIANITY,        5'd 

cloubt  about  the  inspiration  of  the  christian 
Scriptures,  and  the  adaptation  of  inspired  truth 
to  the  sanctifi cation  of  the  human  souL  Jesus 
Christ  Himself  affirmed  this  when  He  prayed, 
"Sanctify  them  through  Tliy  truth  :  Thy  word 
is  truth." 

There  is,  hkewise,  a  failure  in  this  best  book 
which  the  Unitarians  have  produced,  to  perceive 
the  nature  and  kind  of  authority  which  truth 
must  have  in  order  to  save  the  soul  from  sin. 
The  authority  ascribed  to  truth  by  the  author, 
would  be  utterly  inadequate  to  give  it  saving 
power.  The  glory  of  the  gospel  is  not  mostly 
in  its  precept;  it  is  in  its  manifestation  of  the 
character  and  love  of  the  God-head  ;  and  in  the 
spiritual  power  granted  by  faith  to  enable  men 
to  feel,  to  will,  and  to  do  what  they  know  to  be 
duty.  What  men  need  is  not  more  light,  but  a 
disposition  to  do  the  good  they  know. 

Seneca  lived  with  Paul  both  in  time  and  place. 
His  morals  are  pure,  and  commend  themselves 
to  men  by  their  intrinsic  worth.  The  Romans 
believed  Seneca  and  grew  worse;  while  who- 
ever among  the  same  people  believed  Paul,  grew 
better.  The  conscience  will  enforce  no  truth 
upon  the  soul,  however  perfect,  unless  it  sees  the 


54  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF   THE   AGE. 

aiitliority  of  God  in  it.  So  we  are  made.  Faith 
has  eyes,  but  she  can  not  see  in  the  dark.  With- 
out revelation  she  becomes  a  bHnd  leader  of  tiie 
blind.  And  when  conscience  is  palsied  by  no 
faith,  or  corrupted  by  a  false  one,  it  is  a  sleeping 
sentinel,  or  it  is  a  blind  giant,  enforcing  error 
upon  the  soul.  Truth  then  must  have  the  light 
of  God  to  guide  Faith,  and  the  authority  of  God 
to  empower  the  conscience;  then  "he  that  be- 
lieveth  shall  be  saved." 

The  Redeemer  of  the  world  did  not  rely  upon 
His  own  truth,  with  all  its  internal  and  external 
authority,  to  sanctify  men,  until  the  direct  au- 
thority of  God,  and  the  influence  of  the  Spirit 
were  superadded.  He  referred  His  disciples  to 
His  approaching  resurrection  from  the  dead,  as 
the  divine  authorization  of  His  truth.  He  was 
"declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God  with  power,  by 
the  resurrection  from  the  dead."  This  divine 
sanction  was  the  authority  which  they  should 
use,  and  which  the  Holy  Spirit  would  use  in  the 
work  of  salvation.  In  His  last  conversation 
with  His  appointed  apostles,  He  promised  that 
He  would  send  the  Comforter  into  the  world — • 
"And  when  He  is  come.  He  will  reprove  the 
world  of  sin,  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment. 


ASPECTS    OF    LIBERAL     CHEISTIANITY.         OD 

Of  sin,  because  they  believe  not  on  me;  of 
righteousness,  because  I  go  to  the  Father,  and 
of  judgment,  because  the  prince  of  this  world 
is  judged."  "I  have  many  things  to  say  unto 
you,  but  ye  can  not  bear  them  now.  Howbcit, 
when  He,  the  Spirit  of  Truth  is  come,  He  will 
guide  you  into  all  truth." 

After  the  resurrection,  the  truth  that  He 
taught,  and  which  had  been  neglected  as  mere 
human  precept,  would  be  recognized  as  author- 
ized of  God,  and  become  the  standard  of  right- 
eousness by  which  men  would  judge  themselves, 
and  by  which  God  would  judge  them.  The 
words  of  the  apostles,  as  His  commissioned  wit- 
nesses, would  then  accomplish  more  than  the 
words  of  Jesus  Himself  did  before  the  resurrec- 
tion. As  He  said,  "  The  works  which  I  do  ye 
shall  do,  and  greater  works  shall  ye  do,  because 
I  go  to  my  Father." 

In  almost  every  chapter  of  this  volume 
of  Dr.  Clarke,  relating  to  the  essential  things 
of  salvation,  we  might  note  what  we  con- 
sider to  be  a  failure  to  perceive,  or  to  state 
fully  the  doctrines  of  the  New  Testament. 
Concerning  the  doctrine  of  Christ's  sacrifice, 
there  are  words  of    appreciation,  which,  wero 


56  LIVING    QUESTIONS   OF    THE    AGE. 

tliey  sustained  by  tlie  subsequent  exhibition  of 
the  subject,  would  be  gratifying  to  all  believers 
in  Jesus.  But  the'  statements  that  fall  within 
the  circle  of  saving  doctrine,  may  be  lost  to  the 
readers  of  the  book,  by  reason  of  the  abatement, 
or  misdirection  which  other  passages  give  them. 
And  yet  to  truth-loving  readers  of  the  ISTew 
Testament,  this  abatement  we  hope  will  often 
fail  of  effect.  The  comparison  of  the  sacrifice 
of  Christ,  which  Dr.  Clarke  declares,  was  "a 
real  and  true  sin-offering,"  convincing  us  of 
the  evil  of  sin,  and  the  love  of  God,  with  the 
martyrdom  of  good  men  in  past  ages,  will  have 
little  influence  with  thoughtful  enquirers.  No 
one  reading  the  scriptures,  enquiring  what  they 
must  do  to  be  saved,  will  fail  to  perceive  signifi- 
cance, and  a  deep  relation  to  sin  and  salvation 
in  Christ's  suffering,  which  have  no  parallel  or 
approximation  in  human  history. 

In  the  summing  up  of  the  author,  he  says: 
"We  can  believe  that  God  in  Christ  does  recon- 
cile the  world  to  himself."  The  scriptures 
says,  "God  was  in  Christ,  reconciling  the  world 
to  himself," — "does  create  a  sense  of  pardoned 
sin," — in  those  who  repent  and  believe  in  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  should  be  added;  "does  remove 


ASPECTS    OF    LIBERAL    CHRISTIANITY.        57 

the  weight  of  transgression," — there  should 
be  added;  in  the  case  of  those  who  love  Christ, 
and  have  ceased  consciously  to  disobey  him  ; — 
"does  take  away  the  obstacle  in  our  conscience," 
not  till  the  soul  has  the  sense  of  pardon  by 
entire  submission  to  Christ; — ''does  help  us  to 
a  living  faith,  hope,  peace  and  joy, " — these  are 
the  fruits  of  the  spirit  in  the  soul,  which  no  man 
ever  did,  or  ever  will  experience,  except  he  sees 
the  love  of  God  in  Christ,  and  is  conscious  of 
obedience.  No  man  ought  to  make  general, 
what  God  has  mad-e  special.  The  only  hope  ol 
the  soul  is,  that  "the  blood  of  Christ,  who 
through  the  Eternal  Spirit,  offered  himself  with- 
out spot  unto  God,  shall  purge  the  conscience 
from  dead  works,  to  serve  the  Living  God." 
The  pronouns  as  Jesus  and  the  apostles  spoke 
them,  refer  to  those  who  have  faith,  not  to 
mankind  in  general. 

We  notice  only  another  instance;  and  this 
because  it  is  depended  upon  with  apparent  con- 
fidence by  the  author,  to  prove  that  the  apostles 
were  not  inspired  in  the  sense  in  which  their 
teaching  is  received  by  evangelical  christians. 
It  is  affirmed  that  the  apostles  "were  mistaken 
in  regard  to  the  time  of  Christ's  second  appear- 


58  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF   THE  AGE. 

ing. "  Now,  it  is  only  a  half  truth  that  they 
expected  or  hoped  that  Christ  would  come  during 
their  own  age.  The  time  of  His  coming  was 
indefinite  in  their  minds,  and  designed  by  the 
author  of  inspiration  to  be  so.  Jesus  taught 
them  distinctly,  in  various  connections,  that  the 
time  of  His  coming  at  the  end  of  the  dispensation, 
"was  not  for  themio  know."  Instead  of  this, 
they  were  to  watch  at  all  times,  and  be  ready 
for  the  event.  In  words  which  left  a  deep  im- 
pression. He  taught  them  that  this  was  the  only 
proper  state  of  mind  in  regard  to  "the  end  of 
the  world."  We  can  now  see  many  reasons  to 
believe  that  if  inspiration  had  given  them,  or 
any  one,  the  time  of  the  end,  it  would  have 
been  an  injury,  not  a  benefit.  The  motive 
drawn  from  approaching  death,  or  the  end  of 
the  world,  has  not  the  exhilaration,  hope  and 
joy  in  it,  that  the  appearing  of  the  Lord  in  His 
kingdom  and  glory,  will  always  have  for  the  be- 
liever. How  it  is  I  know  not;  but  I  could 
rejoice  with  all  my  heart,  if  I  were  sure  that 
Christ  would  come  this  year.  But  I  would  not 
so  rejoice  in  the  assurance  of  my  own  death 
within  the  same  time. 

To  allege,  as  an  argument  against  their  inspi- 


ASPECTS   OF   LIBERAL   CHRISTIANITY.        59 

ration,  that  tliey  did  not  know  a  point  in  tlie 
time  of  future  events,  that  the  Master  taught 
them  it  was  not  best  they  should  know,  is  surely 
a  misapprehension  of  the  nature  of  the  case. 

When  the  disciples  asked  Jesus  the  three 
questions  in  Matthew  24th— the  signs  of  the  de- 
struction of  the  temple — His  coming  to  establish 
the  gospel  dispensation — and  of  the  end  of  the 
world,  He  tells  them  the  signs  which  will  precede 
the  two  first,  which  should  occur  before  the 
death  of  some  then  present;  but  in  regard  to 
the  last  question,  the  end  of  the  world,  he 
^affirms:  "But  of  that  day  and  that  hour 
knoweth  no  man,  no,  not  the  angels  of  heaven, 
but  my  Father  only.  Watch  therefore,  for 
ye  know  not  what  hour  your  Lord  doth  come." 

This  was  the  doctrine  taught  by  Jesus;  ye 
are  not  to  know  the  time  when  the  New  Testa- 
ment age  will  end;  be  ye  therefore  always 
ready.  He  taught  them  farther,  however,  that 
before  His  coming,  a  probation  would  intervene, 
at  the  end  of  which,  each  of  them  would  have 
to  give  an  account  of  the  use  he  had  made  of 
his  talent,  and  be  judged  accordingly.  He  had 
likewise  spoken  to  ■  them  of  an  apostacy  that 
would  occur  before  the  final  issue;  and  as  Petei 


60  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF   THE  AGE. 

informs  us,  He  had  promised  another  geological 
transformation,  or  reconstruction  of  the  earth, 
after  which,  those  saved  from  the  old  condition, 
were  to  be  the  glorified  denizens  of  the  "new 
heavens  and  new  earth,  in  which  dwelleth  right- 
eousness. 

Besides,  the  hope  of  the  first  age  was  true, 
because  if  the  Lord  did  not  come  to  them,  they 
came  to  the  Lord  at  the  close  of  their  own  pro- 
bation; and  if  Dr.  Clarke's  views  of  the  resur- 
rection be  correct,  we  see  not  how  he  can  hold 
his  own  views  and  speak  of  the  hope  of  Christ's 
second  coming  as  a  mistake. 

But  the  apostles  did  not  favor  the  views  of 
some  in  the  early  churches,  that  Christ's  person- 
al appearance  was  immediately  impending.  Paul 
writes  to  the  church  at  Thessalonica,.  which  was 
unduly  agitated  on  this  subject,  and  teaches  ex- 
pressly, that  before  the  second  coming  of  Christ 
there  would  be  a  great  apostacy  which  had 
already  begun  to  manifest  itself.  He  then  gives 
a  distinct  description  of  the  Papal  superstition, 
marking  the  character  of  the  Pvoman  apostacy 
for  us  and  for  them.  For  them,  that  they  might 
know  the  "man  of  sin"  had  not  yet  come;  for 
us,  that  we  might  know  when  He  should  come. 


ASPECTS   OF    LIBERAL    CHRISTIANITY.        61 

No  man  can  read  tins  description  understanding- 
ly,  without  seeing  the  spirit  of  prophecy  and  of 
inspiration,  pointing  to  the  Papal  power  as  the 
culmination  of  an  apostacy  to  intervene  before 
the  second  coming  of  Christ,  Here  are  the 
passages : 

Paul  had  written  in  the  fourth  chapter  of  hia 
first  letter  to  Thessalonica,  an  urgent  exhortation 
in  view  of  the  Lord's  appearing,  and  closes  in 
the  beginning  of  the  fifth  chapter  with  the  in- 
spired idea  of  the  time;  "But  of  the  times  and 
the  seasons,-  brethren,  ye  have  no  need  that  I 
write  unto  you ;  for  you,  yourselves,  know  that 
the  day  of  the  Lord  so  cometh  as  a  thief  in  the 
night."  This,  with  other  things,  had  led  the 
Thessalonians  to  look  for  an  immediate  manifes- 
tation of  Christ.  This  misapprehension  led  Paul 
in  his  second  letter,  to  speak  more  distinctly  in 
regard  to  the  event.  In  the  second  chapter  of 
second  Thessalonians-  he  says ,  ' '  Now  we  beseech 
you  brethren,  by  the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  by  our  gathering  together  unto  Him, 
that  ye  be  not  soon  shaken  in  mind,  or  be  troub- 
led, neither  by  spirit,  nor  by  word,  nor  by  letter, 
as  from  us,  as  that  the  day  of  the  Lord  is  at. 
hand;    let  no  man  deceive  you  by  any  means; 


62  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE 

for  that  clay  shall  not  come,  except  there  come  a 
falling  away  first,  and  that  man  of  sin  be  re- 
vealed, tlie  son  of  perdition  who  opposeth  and 
exalteth  himself  above  all  that  is  called  God,  or 
that  is  worshipped,  so  that  he,  as  God,  sitteth  in 
the  temple  of  God,  showing  himself  that  he  is 
God,  Remember  ye  not,  that  when  I  was  with 
you,  I  told  you  these  things?  and  now  ye  know 
what  withholdeth,  that  he — the  man  of  sin — 
may  be  revealed  in  his  time.  For  the  mystery 
of  iniquity  doth  already  work,  only  he  that 
now  restraineth  will  continue,  until  he  be  taken 
out  of  the  way;  and  then  that  wicked  power 
will  be  revealed,  whom  the  Lord  shall  consume 
with  the  spirit  of  His  mouth,  and  destroy  with 
the  brightness  of  His  coming.  Even  Him,  whose 
coming  is  after  the  workings  of  Satan,  with  all 
power,  and  signs,  and  lying  wonders." 

In  his  first  letter  to  Timothy,  this  apostle  also 
speaks  of  the  same  apostacy,  and  adds  two  other 
characteristics.  He  says  "Now  the  spirit  speak- 
eth  expressly  that  in  the  latter  times  some  shall 
depart  from  the  faith,  giving  heed  to  seducing 
spirits  and  doctrines  of  demons,  (i.  e.  spirits  of 
the  dead,)  *  *  forbidding  to  marry,  and  com- 
manding to  abstain  from  meat,"  as  the  Church 
of  Home  does. 


ASPECTS    OF    LIBERAL     CHEISTIANITY.         63 

The  apostle  Peter,  likewise,  in  his  second 
letter,  writing  on  this  absorbing  subject,  reveals 
further  the  apostolic  consciousness  in  regard  to  it 
for  his  own  time,  and  for  ours.  He  tells  them 
in  the  fourth  chapter,  that  "There  shall  come  in 
the  last  days,  scoffers,  walking  after  their  own 
lusts,  and  saying — 'Where  is  the  promise  of  His 
coming;  for  since  the  Fathers  fell  asleep,  all 
things  continue  as  they  were  from  the  beginning 
of  the  creation:'"  This  refers  to  the  atheistic 
philosophy  prevalent  in  those  days  and  in  ours, 
that  God  started  the  machinery  of  the  universe, 
and  then  withdrew  Himself,  or  fell  asleep,  leav- 
ing every  thing  to  be  governed  thenceforth  by 
inexorable  law. 

Peter  replied  to  such  scoffers  precisely  as  we 
do  now;  referring  to  the  geological  changes  of 
the  past,  and  those  that  in  the  order  of  mundane 
and  moral  progress  must  come  in  the  future; 
he  then  adds — "But  the  day  of  the  Lord  will 
come  as  a  thief  in  the  night,  in  the  which  the 
heavens  shall  pass  away  with  a  great  noise,  and 
the  elements  shall  melt  with  fervent  heat;  the 
earth  also,  and  the  works  that  are  therein  shall 
be  burned  up."  *  *  Nevertheless,  we,  according 
tc  His   promise,   look  for     "new  heavens  and  a 


64*  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE   AGE. 

new  eartli  wherein  dwelletli  rigliteousness," 
"  Wherefore  beloved,  seeing  ye  look  for  such 
things,  be  diligent  that  ye  may  be  found  of  Him 
without  spot,  and  blameless." 

We  have  dwelt  on  this  subject  more  at  length, 
inasmuch  as  Dr.  Clarke  has  fallen  into  the  error 
which  the  infidel  class  of  liberal  christians  con- 
stantly urge,  in  regard  to  the  "mistake"  of  the 
apostles,  as  they  complacently  call  it,  that  the 
Lord  was  immediately  to  appear.  Surely,  the 
seal  of  divine  inspiration  is  deeply  impressed 
upon  this  subject.  Inspiration,  adapting  the 
truth  to  their  age,  and  to  all  ages.  While  the 
apostle  Paul  maintained  the  injunction  to  watch 
and  be  always  ready,  he  described  minutely  that 
Papal  apostacy  which  was  to  intervene  before 
the  Lord  should  appear.  Peter  farther  refers  to 
the  vain  and  unwise  scoffers,  who,  on  scientin<', 
grounds,  deny  divine  interposition,  and  affirm 
the  permanency  of  all  forms  and  forces  since 
the  beginning.  These  intervening  events  have 
been  developed,  and  the  christian  church  stands 
now  at  the  opening  of  the  seventh  seal,  looking 
for  the  coming  of  the  Lord.  "Amen.  Even  ao. 
Come  Lord  Jesus." 


CHAPTER  V. 

DEVELOPMENT    OF    DIVINE    EEVELATION    IN  THE 

THREE  DISPENSATIONS  OF   POWER, 

LAW,  AND  LOVE. 

The  rational  and  scriptural  sclieme  of  the 
progressive  development  of  Divine  E-evelation, 
is,  in  my  opinion,  imperfectly  apprehended  by 
theological  teachers  and  writers,  both  Liberal 
and  Evangelical.  On  this  subject.  Dr.  Clarke 
has  some  passages  which  affirm  the  advance  of 
truth,  and  authority  of  the  'New  Testament  com- 
pared with  the  Old;  but  there  is  not  in  his  book, 
nor  in  any  other  that  I  have  met  with,  a  discrim- 
inating statement  of  the  progressive  development 
of  Revelation,  and  of  the  connection  of  the  three 
dispensations  of  power,  law,  and  love. 

A  right  understanding  of  this  subject  will  aid 
in  the  discussion  of  the  doctrine  of  inspiration; 
and  present  a  strong  testimony  to  the  reason  that 
the  Divine  guidance  has  been  over  all,  in  the 

5 


66  TJVING  QUESTIONS  OF    THE  AGE. 

progressive  revealment  of  the  divine  character. 
Conglomerating  the  three  dispensations  into  one, 
tlie  immature  and  introductory  Old,  with  a  per- 
fect New,  is  a  fruitful  source  of  superstition  and 
skepticism. 

The  Old  Testament  institutions  and  ordinances 
were,  in  some  respects,  symbolical  of  the  perfect 
spiritual  dispensation  that  was  to  follow  them. 
The  old  dispensations,  the  Patriarchal  and  Mo- 
saic, were  perfectly  adapted  to  their  age  and 
place,  in  the  order  of  progressive  revelation,  from 
less  to  greater  degrees  of  light  and  love. 

The  law  of  development,  i.  e.,  progress  from 
lower  to  higher  forms,  forces,  and  faculties,  is 
the  universal  law  of  the  divine  government  over 
matter  and  mind. 

In  the  process  of  creation,  the  earth  has  been 
advanced  from  lower  to  higher  conditions,  the 
vegetable  kingdom  from  less  to  more  perfect 
species,  or  rather  from  more  simple  to  more  com- 
pound structures,  and  the  animal  kingdom  from 
lower,  to  higher  forms  and  faculties.  These  have 
all  been  developed  progressively,  in  adaptation 
to  each  other;  vegetables  and  animals  beino- 
constantly  advanced  in  adaptation  to  the 
changing  conditions  of  the  earth's  surface. 


POWER,    LAW    AND    LOVE.  67 

There  are  two  opinions  held  by  well-informed 
men,  in  regard  to  the  method  by  which  God  has 
accomplished  this  advance,  from  the  less  to  the 
more  perfect,  in  nature.  Some  hold  that  the 
more  perfect  species,  were,  in  some  way,  devel- 
oped out  of  the  less  perfect.  Others  hold  that 
as  new  conditions  are  produced  on  the  earth's 
surface,  new  and  more  perfect  species  are  cre- 
ated. 

But  whatever  may  be  true  in  regard  to  the 
modus  operandi  of  the  divine  working,  no  one 
who  understands  the  subject,  doubts  that  God 
has  developed  all  departments  of  nature  pro- 
gressively, from  lower  to  higher  forms  and  facul- 
ties. The  law  of  progressive  development,  then, 
is  the  mode  of  the  Divine  working,  in  all  time 
and  in  all  departments  of  nature.  This  state- 
ment is  verified  not  only  by  scientific  evidence, 
but  it  is  explicitly  affirmed  in  the  Bible. 

Now  what  is  true  in  nature,  is  true  likewise 
in  revelation.  God  has  advanced  the  dispensa- 
tions from  the  less  to  the  more  perfect.  Each 
of  the  elder  dispensations  is  perfectly  adapted  to 
the  darker  age  in  which  it  was  given;  but  each 
is  imperfect  in  truth  and  grace,  light  and  love, 
when  compared  with  the  dispensation  of  Christ. 


G8  LIVING    QUESTIONS   OF    THE    AGE. 

Notice — 1st.  The  evidence  and  the  method 
of  the  progressive  development  of  revelation. 

In  the  first,  or  patriarchal  dispensation,  the 
moral  character  of  God  was  very  imperfectly 
known.  It  was  the  dispensation  of  Creation; 
God  was  worshiped  as  Creator — as  the  Almighty. 
"Almighty  power  and  Godhead,"  were  the  at- 
tributes known  to  worshipers :  Little  more, 
probably,  than  that  which  can  be  deduced  by 
reason  from  the  works  of  creation.  By  the 
name  Jehovah,  revealed  in  the  Mosaic  dispens- 
ation, God  was  not  known  to  the  Patriarchs.  In 
the  Patriarchal  Dispensation,  the  family  was  the 
center  of  religious  service  and  culture,  and  from 
the  family  it  was  developed  into  the  nation. 

That  which  was  good  and  of  permanent  utility 
in  a  previous  condition,  was  not  lost  by  the  ad- 
vance to  a  better,  but  it  was  incorporated  witli 
the  new  knowledge.  Hence,  the  patriarchal 
was  developed  into  the  national,  retaining  family 
duties,  and  the  name  of  God  was  further  revealed 
from  Creator  to  Lawgiver,  but  -retaining  the 
previous  attribute,  so  that  Jehovah  was  the  Al- 
mighty Lawgiver;  and  God  was  worshiped  in 
the  second  dispensation  both  as  Almighty  Creator 
and  Lawgiver. 


POWEE,    LAW    AND    LOVE.  69 

The  imperfect  theology  of  the  Patriarchal  dis- 
pensation was  likewise  advanced  one  stage  into 
tliat  of  Moses.  Theology  in  Job's  time  argued 
the  question  whether  the  Almighty  rewarded 
men  on  earth  according  to  merit;  and  Abraham 
did  not  know  but  that  the  Almighty  would  ac- 
cept a  human  sacrifice  of  the  first-born,  a  terrible 
usage  prevalent  in  the  early  ages  among  heathen 
nations,  until  God,  by  direct  interposition,  tried 
him,  and  by  selecting  the  sacrifice  thereby  taught 
him  a  better  knowledge  of  his  character. 

In  the  Mosaic  or  Legal  Dispensation  an  advanced 
development  was  inaugurated.  The  family,  by 
a  common  bondage  and  suffering,  was  consoli- 
dated into  a'  nation,  and  the  centre  of  worship 
made  national.  A  new  name  of  God  was  re- 
vealed, to  which  the  former  knowledge  of  Crea- 
tor and  Almightiness  was  attached,  and  the 
written  ritual  law  was  enacted,  by  which  the  at- 
tributes of  justice  and  mercy  were  more  fully 
developed.  The  Creator  thus  endowed,  was  en- 
throned as  Almighty,  Lawgiver,  and  Judge  of 
men. 

The  memorial  of  the  Sabbath  day  was 
changed,orrather  enlarged  to  include  the  advanced 
li^T-ht.      From  beincr  a  sacred  memorial  of  the 

o  o 


70  LIVING    QUESTIONS   OF   TII&  AGE. 

finished  work  wliich  initiated  the  Dispensation 
of  Creation,  it  came  to  be  likewise  a  memorial  of 
tlie  act  wliich  initiated  the  Dispensation  of  Law. 
TJie  Jewish  Church,  in  addition  to  the  first  me- 
morial, was  commanded  to  keep  the  Sabbath  in 
remembrance  of  the  deliverance  from  Egypt. 

The  development  of  the  dispensations  to  the 
perfect,  was  symbolized  in  the  Jewish  dispensa- 
tion, and  is  distinctly  taught  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment. The  tabernacle  had  three  courts :  First, 
that  of  the  Gentiles,  into  which  all  might  enter. 
This  was  the  dispensation  of  nature,  or  of  Crea- 
tion, when  all  worshipers  acknowledged  the  one 
Almighty  Creator,  until  tradition  failed,  and  was 
superceded  by  written  languages.  The  second 
court,  was  that  of  the  Jews,  into  which  Jews 
only  could  enter,  and  where  the  religious  cere- 
monial of  the  nation  was  observed.  This  sym- 
bolized the  second  dispensation.  The  third 
court  symbolized  the  Christian  dispensation. 
Into  this  no  Gentile  or  Jew  could  yet  enter,  but 
the  high  priest  once  a  year,  to  offer  sacrifice. 
Paul  teaches  us  that  the  veil  wliich  separated 
the  "holy  of  holies"  from  the  court  of  the  Jews, 
signified  that  the  "holiest  dispensation  of  all," 
the  Christian,  was  not  yet  accessible.     "The  old 


POWEE,    LAW    AND    LOVE.  71 

dispensation  could  not  make  men  perfect,  as  to 
their  conscience,"  and  the  new  was  not  accessi- 
ble to  them.  When  Christ  cried  "  it  is  finished 
on  the  cross,  this  veil  in  the  temple  was  rent  in 
twain,  signifying  that  the  way  into  the  "hohest 
of  all"  was  accomplished.  The  development  to 
the  perfect  was  complete  by  Christ's  sacrifice. 

The  New  Testament  is  the  third,  and  perfect, 
dispensation,  developed  from  the  second — the  in- 
troductory dispensation  of  Moses.  There  were, 
"first  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  then  the  ripe 
corn  in  the  ear" — the  "harvest"  dispensation  of 
the  world-field.  The  "new  wine"  of  the  new 
dispensation  was  not  to  be  put  into  the  "old  bot- 
tles" of  the  legal  dispensation — nor  was  the 
new  to  be  attached  to  the  old,  as  new  cloth  upon 
an  old  garment.  The  new  was  in  the  old,  only 
as  the  ripe  corn  was  in  the  immature  blade  and 
ear. 

The  New  Testament  church  was  to  take  heed 
to  the  preachers  of  the  old,  as  to  "a  light  shin- 
ing in  a  dark  place."  The  old  was  a  dark  dis- 
pensation of  "types  and  shadows"  that  "made 
nothing  perfect,"  but  the  prophets  were  the  light 
of  their  age.  To  this  lidit  men  were  to  take 
heed,  until  the  daylight  of  the  gospel    rose   in 


/  Z  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF    THE  AGE. 

their  minds.  Then,  when  the  gospel  truth  wasf 
written  and  estabhshed,  the  morning  star,  which 
had  arisen  in  their  hearts,  would  sink  in  the 
deeper  glory  of  the  day-light;  and  the  "light 
shining  in  a  dark  place,"  would  be  Heeded  as 
evidence,  but  not  as  guidance. 

The  dispensation  of  Moses  was  a  dispensation 
of  law.  The  moral  law  of  the  stone  tables,  as 
the  law  of  the  Sabbath,  was  made  for  man,  hence 
a  part  of  all  dispensations.  But  the  ceremonial 
law  and  the  municipal  law  of  Moses  were  change- 
able, and  in  some  respects  imperfect,  because 
adapted  to  the  darker  age,  and  the  darker  minds 
of  men  in  that  age.  Deuteronomy,  or  the  second 
law,  changed  previous  enactments,  and  changed 
the  penalties  for  certain  crimes,  in  some  cases 
two  or  three  times.  The  obvious  reason  was, 
that,  when  the  circumstances  of  the  people 
changed  from  a  nomadic  to  a  settled  community, 
their  advanced  condition  required  a  change  both 
in  statute  and  penalty.  The  law  of  divorce  in 
the  old  dispensation,  would  be  immoral  in  the 
new  dispensation.  This,  and  other  things,  per- 
mitted, on  account  of  the  "dark  place,"  are  ab- 
rogated and  condemned  in  the  light  of  Christ's 
teaching  and  example. 


POWER,    LAW    AND    LOVE. 


73 


"  The  law  came  by  Moses,  but  grace  and  tmtb 
by  Jesus  Christ."  The  old  law,  even  if  it  were 
perfect  in  its  place,  is  neither  light  nor  love,  in 
the  sense  that  the  New  Testament  dispensation 
is  such.  The  first  was  especially  the  dispensa- 
tion of  power,  the  second  of  law,  the  third  of 
"love  and  truth;"  the  last  combining  and  per- 
fecting the  two  preceding.  The  love  of  the  old 
dispensation  was  for  the  temporal  deliverance  of 
the  nation.  The  love  of  Christ  is  for  the  spirit- 
ual deliverance  of  the  soul.  • 

"  Moses  was  a  servant  in  all  his  house."  Those 
who  lived  under  the  old  dispensation,  served  God 
as  servants  do  their  masters.  Under  Christ's 
dispensation  it  is  not  servant  and  master,  under 
law,  but  son  and  father — the  obedience  of  love — 
or  better,  the  obedience  by  love  to  the  law,  as 
illustrated  by  the  teaching  and  example  of  Christ. 
"The  commandment  going  before  was  disan- 
nulled, because  of  its  weakness  and  unprofitable- 
ness; for  the  law  made  nothing  perfect,  but  the 
bringing  in  of  a  better  hope  did." 

AVith  the  advanced  light  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, there  came  likewise  an  advanced  admin- 
istration of  the  Holy  Spirit.  "But  if  the  min- 
istration of  death,  written  and  engraven  in  stones, 


74  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE   AGE. 

was  glorious,  so  that  the  children  of  Israel  could 
not  steadfastly  behold  the  face  of  Moses,  for  the 
glory  of  his  countenance,  which  glory  was  to  be 
done  away;  how  shall  not  the  ministration  of 
the  Spirit  be  rather  glorious :  for  if  the  ministra- 
tion of  condemnation  be  glory,  much  more  doth 
the  ministration  of  righteousness  exceed  in  glory; 
for  even  that  which  was  made  glorious,  had  no 
glory  in  this  respect,  by  reason  of  the  glory  that 
excelleth.  For  if  that  which  is  done  away  is 
glorious,  much  more  that  which  remaineth  is 
glorious." 

The  Sabbath,  under  the  new  dispensation  wa? 
developed  into  the  spiritual,  and  retained  the  pliy- 
sical  rest  of  preceding  dispensations.  It  was 
changed  to  commemorate  the  finished  work  of 
Christ,  as  its  capital  memorial.  The  develop- 
ment of  the  Sabbath  as  a  positive  institution, 
was,  first,  the  finished  work  of  creation;  second, 
the  finished  work  of  national  deliverance;  third 
the  finished  work  of  Christ.  A  memorial  of  the 
complete  initiation  of  each  dispensation. 

2.  Notice  now  the  method  and  the  power  by 
which  the  progressive  development  of  the  three 
dispensations  was  accomplished.  The  character 
of  the  object  of  worship,  is  that  which  affects 


POWEE,    LAW    AND    LOVE. 


75 


and  transforms  the  character  of  the  worshiper; 
by  faith,  transforming  the  one  into  the  image  of 
the  other,  from  glory  to  glory. 

The  Name  of  God  had  a  new  development 
in  each  dispensation,  "from  faith  to  faith,"  first, 
the  Almighty,  Alshadi,  adoni,  elohim,  revealed 
the  one  Creator,  in  opposition  to  polytheism. 
The  chief  attributes  were  those  taught  by  nature, 
eternal  power  and  Godhead.  Under  the  second 
dispensation,  the  new  name,  Jehovah,  was 
given,  and  the  attributes  of  justice  and  mercy, 
in  the  lawgiver,  were  more  perfectly  revealed. 
In  the  third  dispensation,  the  one  name  of  God 
is  revealed  in  the  tri-fold  manifestation  of  Fa- 
ther, Son,  and  Holy  Ghost. 

The  first  manifestation  was  in  nature ;  the  sec- 
ond in  symbol  and  written  language ;  the  third 
in  the  person  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ.  To  all  of  these,  angelic  and  supernatural 
aids  were  added,  sufficient  to  connect  the  mani- 
festation of  each  dispensation  with  the  true  God, 
the  Creator. 

Thus,  as  the  Name  of  God  was  developed,  the 
moral  character  of  the  worshipers  was  developed 
in  accordance  with  the  attributes  revealed.  The 
moral  character  of  God  being  revealed  progres- 


76  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF   THE  AGE. 

sively,  it  develops  the  moral  character  of  the 
worshipers  progressively  in  each  dispensation, 
"from  faith  to  faith." 

The  only  principle,  which  is  the  same  through 
all  the  dispensations  is  faith.  Faith,  or  credence, 
is  the  band  which  connects  the  power  with  the 
machinery.  The  power  is  the  divine  character  : 
the  machinery  is  the  faculties  of  the  human  mind : 
faith  is  the  band  that  unites  the  two,  so  that  the 
power  of  the  one  operates  the  other. 

Hence  faith  in  God's  character,  so  far  as  it  is 
revealed,  is  all  God  requires  of  men.  And,  al- 
though in  the  old  dispensations,  it  could  not 
make  men  righteous,  in  the  sense  of  the  New 
Testament,  yet  "it  was  imputed  to  them  for 
righteousness."  Abraham,  who  by  faith  obeyed 
up  to  the  amount  of  his  knowledge  and  ability, 
was  as  righteous  in  the  sight  of  God's  requirement, 
although  not  as  perfect  in  moral  character,  as 
John  or  Paul. 

There  was  likewise  a  development  in  each  dis- 
pensation in  itself,  from  the  less  to  the  more  per- 
fect. The  dispensation  of  nature  was  dark  and 
diabolical  in  its  first  stages.  Its  representative 
men  in  its  later  stages.  Job,  Abraham,  and  the 
Patriarchs,  were  better  men. 


POWEE,  LAW    AND  LOVE.  77 

The  first  stages  of  the  Mosaic  dispensation 
were  dark,  fabulous,  and  cruel,  as  exemplified  in 
the  judges.  The  Prophets  were  sun-crowned  men, 
immensely  in  advance  of  the  early  periods  of 
their  dispensation.  John  Baptist  was  the  last 
of  these,  and  the  greatest  of  them  all ,  and  the  great- 
est born  of  women,  but  the  least  ^n  the  Gospel 
dispensation,  is  greater  than  he. 

The  Christian  dispensation  after  its  initiation, 
was  likewise  to  be  developed  from  lower  to  higher 
stages  of  knowledge  and  perfection.  Not  that 
any  thing  can  be  added  to,  or  substracted  from, 
the  revealed  truth  of  the  Nev/  Testament.  But, 
in  the  words  of  the  immortal  Robinson,  "increas- 
ing knowledge  will  be  derived  from  the  Scrip- 
tures," and  the  light  of  truth,  and  the  purifying 
power  of  love,  will  prevail  more  and  more  in  the 
true  churches,  until  Christ  comes  at  the  close  ot 
the  dispensation.  The  great  apostacy  is  to  be 
destroyed  by  the  "light  of  His  coming." 

There  is  another  development  beyond  our  dis- 
pensation, of  which  Christ  spoke  to  His  disciples, 
but  which  is  properly,  but  dimly  seen,  as  the 
zodiacal  light,  shedding  glory  beyond  the  horizon 
of  the  gospel  day.  "Nevertheless,  we,  according 
to  his  promise,  look  for  a  new  heaven  and  a  new 
earth  in  which  dwelleth  righteousness." 


78  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF    THE  AGE. 

The  earth,  which  has  undergone  many  ad- 
vancing transformations  in  the  past,  will  undergo 
one  in  the  future,  to  perfect  physical  conditions. 
Then,  those,  who  like  Paul,  attain  unto  the  res- 
urrection state,  or  a  state  in  which  the  soul  is  so 
advanced  to  perfection,  as  to  require  in  the  nature 
of  things,  a  perfect  spiritual  body  in  adaptation 
to  its  advanced  condition,  will,  perfect  in  soul 
and  body,  become  the  denizens  of  a  perfect 
sphere.  And  as  the  perfect  can  not  die,  they 
will  live  and  reign  with  Christ  for  ever  and  ever. 

"Amen:  even  so,  come  Lord  Jesus." 

The  churches  of  the  reformation,  need  some 
Paul,  as  did  the  churches  of  the  formation,  to 
detach  them  from  the  Old  Testament  as  a  perfect 
system,  or  as  being  in  any  wise  equal  with  the 
New  Testament.  Except  in  the  elementary  ar- 
ticles of  the  moral  law,  the  marriage  covenant, 
and  such  other  provisions  as  were  made  for  man 
in  all  time,  the  Old  Testament  is  an  immature 
and  introductory  dispensation. 

There  has  been  constant  evil  done  to  the 
moral  interests  of  men,  by  making  the  Old  Tes- 
tament and  the  New  equal  in  precept  and  obli- 
gation. Servitude  existed  in  a  modified  form  in 
the  darker  dispensation.     The  Dispensation  of 


POWER,    LAW   AND    LOVE.  79 

Moses  greatly  modified  the  Dispf^nsation  of  Pow- 
er in  regard  to  servants.  But  the  servitude  and 
polygamy  permitted  by  Moses,  are  utterly  at 
variance  with  the  truth  and  love  of  the  new  dis- 
pensation. The  slaves  of  "believing  masters," 
were  freed  under  the  gospel ;  and  even  the  slaves 
still  "under  the  yoke,"  served  for  Christ's  sake, 
"suffering  wrongfully." 

Hence,  the  effort  to  show  that  slavery,  under 
the  Old  Testament,  was  in  any  wise  applicable 
to  the  question  under  the  New,  was  an  error 
productive  of  immense  evil,  both  South  and 
North.  Erroneous  teaching  on  this  subject  hin- 
dered the  progress  of  reformation  both  in  Europe 
and  in  this  country. 

Such,  likewise,  is  the  case  with  the  polygamy 
of  the  Old  Testament.  It  is  said  that  a  Bible 
distributor  made  an  effort  to  supply  the  Mor- 
mons. He  was  received  gladly.  They  claimed 
that  the  Bible  justified  their  practice.  The  dis- 
tributor retired,  disgusted  no  doubt,  with  their 
lieresy;  but  himself  in  the  dark,  so  far  that  his 
error  in  appreciating  the  relations  of  the  two 
dispensations  prevented  his  correcting  their  false 
views  of  revelation. 

Such,  likewise,  w,  the  case,  when  Old  Testa- 


80  LIVING    QUESTIONS  OF    THE    AGE. 

merit  saints  are  made  examples  for  New  Testa- 
ment practice.  The  Old  Testament  saints,  as  a 
general  statement,  would  be  New  Testament  sin- 
ners. Some  of  them,  as  David,  sinned  grossly, 
even  in  the  light  of  their  own  dispensation.  In 
that  light  it  was  declared  by  the  Lord  that  the 
sword  should  never  pass  from  David's  house; 
and  because  he  was  a  "man  of  blood,"  he  was 
not  permitted  to  build  the  house  of  the  Lord. 
The  effort  to  justify  Old  Testament  character  by 
the  light  of  the  Gospel,  has  a  baleful  effect,  in 
some  cases,  both  upon  minister  and  hearer. 

Such  teaching  makes  skeptics,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  writers  of  the  Westminster  Review,  and 
liberal  christians.  Men  must  be  false  to  reason 
enlightened  by  the  Gospel,  before  they  can  be- 
lieve the  Old  Testament  to  be  the  perfect  will  of 
God. 


CHAPTER  VI, 

PERSONALITY  OF  GOD. 

The  skepticism  of  our  times,  like  its  talented 
preachers,  is  popular  in  many  circles  of  well-in- 
formed people.  I  call  it  skepticism,  because, 
while  it  assails  the  generally  received  faith  of 
evangelical  Christians,  it  offers  no  comprehensi- 
ble system  instead  of  the  faith  it  labors  to  des- 
troy. It  begets  doubt,  but  it  produces  no  con- 
viction that  is  influential  upon  the  heart  and 
will  of  men.  It  is,  therefore,  skepticism ;  and 
if  the  Christian  religion,  is  a  benefit  to  mankind 
which  all  admit,  then  those  who  introduce  doubt 
or  something  worse  in  its  stead,  are  evil  doers. 

This  skepticism  is  popular  in  some  instances, 
because  it  assumes  the  attitude  of  reform,  and 
therefore  commends  itself  to  minds  of  humane 
and  progressive  tendencies.  It  is  popular  in  a 
wider  sense  with  many  who  desire  to  retain  the 
name  of  Christian  while  they  refuse  obedience 
6 


82  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

to  Christ.  In  the  name  of  Jesus  it  denies  the 
divine  authority  of  Christianity  ;  whether  a  man 
receive  or  reject  the  gospel,  he  is  a  Christian : — 
he  that  beheveth  shall  be  saved,  and  he  that  be- 
lieveth  not  shall  be  saved.  Such  a  system  has 
the  elements  of  popularity  in  it  with  all  sorts  of 
men,  except  those  who  maintain  the  Scripture 
doctrine,  that  repentance  and  faith  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  are  conditions  of  holiness  and  there- 
fore of  eternal  life. 

But  does  this  modern  phase  of  skepticism 
commend  itself  to  the  reason  of  fair-minded 
men  ?  Should  the  doubts  which  it  encourages 
concernino-  the  foundational  truths  of  revealed 
religion  be  entertained?  Jjet  us  put  into  the 
balance  of  reason  some  of  its  utterances,  and 
weigh  them  against  the  doctrines  of  the  Christian 
faith. 

It  is  noticeable,  that  while  the  writers  of  the 
Carlyle  school,  such  as  Emerson  and  Mr.  Parker, 
adopt  language  which  speaks  of  God  as  a  per- 
sonal being,  they  likewise  write  many  passages 
which  make  the  impression  that  there  is  no  per- 
sonal God;  or  none  that  can  be  called  personal 
in  any  comprehensible  sense.  On  this,  as  on 
other  subjects  of  the  most  grave  interest,  one 


PERSONALITY    OF    GOD.  83 

may  find  on  one  page  of  their  books  a  distinct 
recognition  of  truth,  while  in  another  place  the 
same  truth  is  perplexed  by  doubt,  nullified  by 
contradictory  expressions,  or  rendered  incompre- 
hensible by  words  as  innocent  of  any  particular 
import  as  moonshine  is  of  caloric. 

We  have  noticed,  in  a  preceding  letter,  the 
peculiar  philosophy  in  relation  to  the  "idea," 
"sentiment,"  and  "conception"  of  God.  Now, 
if  any  disciples  of  the  liberal  school  suppose 
that  by  this  teaching  they  know  any  thing  about 
God  as  a  personal  being,  there  are  several  pas- 
sages in  the  same  volume  that  will  correct  that 
mistake  at  once.  It  had  been  said  that  all  men 
have  an  idea  of  God;  but,  according  to  other 
passages,  if  any  one  believes  that  he  knows  any 
thing  about  God,  either  as  a  personal,  or  a  con- 
scious divine  being,  or  that  he  has  any  compre- 
hensible "  idea "  whatever  on  this  subject,  it  is 
all  a  mistake.  Notice  this  in  the  following  pas- 
sage in  "Discourses  of  Religion." 

"We  talk  of  a  personal  God.  If  thereby  we 
only  deny  that  he  has  the  limitations  of  uncon- 
scious matter,  no  harm  is  done.  But  our  con- 
ception of  personality  is  that  of  finite  person- 
ality, limited  by  human  imperfections,  hemmed 


84  LIVING   QUESTIONS   OF    THE   AGE. 

in  by  time  and  space,  restricted  by  partial  emo- 
tions— displeasure,  wrath,  ignorance,  caprice. 
Can  this  be  said  of  God  ?  If  matter  were  con- 
scious, as  Locke  thinks  it  possible,  it  must  pre- 
dicate materiality  of  God,  as  persons  predicate 
personality.  If  it  mean  God  has  not  the  limita- 
tions of  our  personality,  it  is  well.  But  if  it 
mean  that  he  has  those  of  unconscious  matter, 
it  is  worse  than  the  other  term.  Can  God  be 
personal  and  conscious  as  Joseph  and  Peter — 
unconscious  and  impersonal  as  moss,  or  the  ce- 
lestial ether?  No  man  will  say  it.  Where, 
then,  is  the  philosophic  value  of  such  terms?" 
We  affirm  that  this  is  not  only  directly  contra- 
dictory to  what  was  said  before,  but  that  there 
is  neither  philosophy  nor  sense  in  it. 

Our  author  as  we  have  seen,  analyzes  the  con- 
ception which  he  says  men  form  of  God,  and 
finds  in  it  "power,  wisdom,  and  love,"  without 
limitation.  Now,  if  the  idea  of  personality  in 
God  must  be  limited  by  human  imperfection, 
why  not  wisdom  and  love  thus  limited?  There 
is  contradiction  in  afiirming  the  one  and  denying 
the  other.  So  that,  if  it  is  affirmed  that  God  is 
not  personal  in  any  comprehensible  sense,  then 
the  writer  must  affirm,   according  to  his   own 


PEESONALITY    OF    GOD.  85 

bliowing,  tliat  God  is  neither  wise  nor  unwise, 
good  nor  evil,  in  any  comprehensible  sense.  To 
affirm  personality  of  God  as  an  infinite  being,  is 
as  we  shall  see,  more  rational  than  to  affirm  wis- 
dom or  love  of  him,  because  the  human  idea  of 
moral  character,  without  revelation,  is  imperfect ; 
but  the  idea  of  personal  identity  is  absolute,  and 
always  the  same  in  all  beings. 

There  are  some  things  which  are  the  same  in 
themselves,  and  the  same  forever.  Truth  must 
be  the  same  to  all  intelligent  beings,  so  far  as 
known  to  them.  Two  and  three  are  five  with 
God,  as  they  are  with  Joseph  and  Peter.  Self- 
consciousness  can  not  be  one  thing  in  God,  and 
another  thing  in  man.  The  absolute  truths  of 
the  universe,  when  known,  must  be  the  same  to 
all  beings  that  have  a  moral  nature,  or  else  the 
moral  universe  is  founded  on  the  principle  of 
discord.  Personality  is  an  absolute  truth  ;  it  is 
an  intuition.  We  conceive  of  it  in  God  as  dis- 
tinctly as  we  know  it  in  ourselves. 

The  reasons,  annexed  to  the  above  paragraph, 
are  about  equal  to  the  reasons  annexed  to  tran- 
scendental statements  on  some  other  subjects. 
So  far  as  there  is  any  reason  in  the  matter,  the 
author's    idea  is,  that  because  God  can  not  be 


86  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

affirmed  to  be  impersonal  and  unconscious  as  tlie 
moss  and  the  celestial  ether,  therefore  He  is  not 
personal  nor  conscious.  If  the  argument  were 
good  for  any  thing,  then,  as  two  opposite  char- 
acteristics are  instanced  in  the  objects  named, 
instead  of  proving  that  God  is  neither  conscious 
nor  unconscious,  personal  or  impersonal,  it  would 
prove  that  He  is  both  the  one  and  the  other. 
The  foregoing  passage  is  written  in  the  phrase  of 
blank  pantheism. 

Furthermore,  it  is  admitted  by  the  writer  that 
man  is  a  personal  and  conscious  being,  and  that 
matter  is  not  personal  or  conscious.  It  is  con- 
ceded that  personal  agents  and  impersonal  ob- 
jects do  exist.  To  deny  this  would  be  to  deny 
the  validity  of  both  sense  and  reason.  Now,  if 
it  be  a  fact  that  personal  and  conscious  agents 
do  exist,  separate  from  impersonal  and  uncon- 
scious objects,  why  may  not  God  exist  as  a  pro- 
per, personal,  and  conscious  being,  separate  from 
and  ruling  over  the  kingdoms  of  nature  ?  Is 
man  a  personal  and  conscious  being,  while  God 
has  a  mixed  identity — conscious  and  unconscious 
at  the  same  time  !  To  argue  that  because  one 
man  is  white  and  another  is  black,  therefore 
George    Washino-ton  could  be    neither  a   white 


PERSONALITY    OF    GOD. 


87 


man  nor  a  black  man,  would  be  the  exact  coun- 
terpart of  the  author's  reasoning  when  he  utters 
the  nonsense,  that  because  personal  agents  and 
impersonal  objects  both  exist,  therefore  God  is 
neither,  or  that  He  is  both. 

To  doubt  of  the  personality  of  God,  and  His 
conscious  separateness  from  matter,  is  to  plunge 
the  human  reason  back  into  the  blindness  of  an 
atheistic  philosophy.  The  wisdom  of  the  ancient?, 
of  which  Plato  is  the  highest  exponent,  after  ages 
of  discussion,  reached  the  conclusion  that  plan 
was  before  organization,  a  designer  before  a  con- 
struction. And  if  there  be  such  a  thing  as  an 
intuition,  which  we  ought  to  admit,  notwith- 
standing the  word  is  sadly  abused  by  the  trans- 
cendentalists,  this  is  one :  the  designer  is  before 
and  apart  from  the  design.  Man  is  conscious  of 
designing,  and  then  of  moulding  unconscious 
matter  into  the  forms  of  the  mental  archetype. 
We  are  so  made,  that  it  is  not  possible  for  any 
one  to  perceive  clearly  the  marks  of  design  in 
any  object,  without  the  accompanying  conviction 
that  plan  was  before  the  construction.  Whether 
we  call  this  conviction,  intuition,  experience,  or 
a  logical  deduction,  the  result  is  still  the  same : 
common  reason  teaches  every  man,  what  philos- 


88  LIVING   QUKSTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

opliy  sanctions  as  tlie  result  of  hor  most  profound 
inquiries,  that  a  designing  cause  is  before  and 
apart  from  a  designed  effect.  Reason  affirms 
design  in  nature.  To  write  skeptically,  there- 
fore, concerning  the  conscious  personality  of  God, 
as  these  writers  do,  is  a  sin  against  reason  and 
philosophy,  as  well  as  against  common  sense  and 
religion. 

But  there  are  scientific  facts,  ascertained  be- 
yond question,  which  should  dispel  the  vague 
notions  of  those  who  speak  of  God  as  the  "ma- 
teriality of  matter,"  and  as  being  "inseparable 
from  nature."  An  extract  from  "God  Revealed 
in  the  Process  of  Creation,  and  by  the  Manifes- 
tation of  Christ,"  will,  I  think,  show  that  the 
idea  of  a  God  who  is  neither  conscious  nor  un- 
conscious, in  the  common  acceptation  of  language, 
is  no  more  in  consonance  with  the  facts  of  sci- 
ence than  it  is  with  the  deductions  of  right 
reason. 

The  "Natural  Development"  theory,  which 
argues  that  nature  has  been  advanced  from  low- 
er to  higher  species,  by  some  law  or  power  which 
is  inseparable  from  the  material  universe,  and 
which  has  developed  itself  from  inanimate  mat- 
ter, up   through   an  ascending   series   from  the 


PERSONALITY  OF  GOD.  89 

lowest  to  the  highest  genera  of  things,  issues  it- 
self in  an  utter  absurdity.  "God  is  inseparable 
from  nature,"  says  the  author  of  the  "Vestiges." 
Td  this  agree  Compte,  and  probably  such  phi- 
losophers as  Nott,  Gliddon,  and  multitudes  of 
others,  like  Mr.  Emerson,  who  know  little  or 
nothing  of  the  scientific  basis  of  the  argument. 

And  now  let  us  notice  some  legitimate  results 
of  this  theory,  supposing  it  to  be  true.  The 
whole  subject  is  discussed  at  length  in  the  vol- 
ume referred  to.  The  following  is  a  passage 
from  chapter  viii : 

"When  it  is  said  'God  can  not  be  separated 
from  nature,'  while  at  the  same  time  He  is  af- 
firmed to  be  the  '  author  and  sustainer  of  nature,' 
the  import  must  be,  according  to  this  theory, 
that  God  has  exercised  no  personal  act  of  crea- 
tion or  control,  since  gravitation  first  afi'ected  the 
material  which  formed  our  system;  or,  if  the 
theory  be  confined  to  the  earth,  then  no  creative 
act  has  been  put  forth  by  the  Maker  since  the 
first  organic  cell  was  formed,  and  that  was  not 
formed  by  a  divine  author,  but  by  law.  God  is 
declared  to  be  'Nature.'  It  is  said  that  He  is 
inseparable  from  nature,  and  that  nature  is  the 
manifestation  of  God.     Hence,  as  a  logical  no- 


90  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF   THE  AGE. 

cessity,  natural  plienomena,  organic  and  inorgan- 
ic, manifest  all  the  God  that  belongs  to  thia 
theory. 

"If,  then,  God  be  inseparable  from  material 
nature  now,  He  has  been  inseparable  from  nature 
in  all  the  geologic  periods  of  past  progress.  Then 
what  follows  ?  Why  this :  Reason  is  a  product 
oi  material  development;  hence,  before  the  ex- 
istence of  organic  forms,  there  was  no  reason  in 
existence;  none,  at  least,  in  any  wise  connected 
with  our  planet.  Intelligence  was  developed 
from  lower  susceptibilities  up  to  higher  instincts, 
and  thence  up  to  the  human  mind.  Then,  as  a 
necessary  sequent  of  this  doctrine,  it  follows, 
that  at  early  periods  of  creative  progress,  intel- 
ligence did  not  exist,  and  if  God  can  not  be 
separated  from  nature,  then  before  nature  pro- 
duced intelligence,  there  was  no  intelligent  God. 
During  the  Saurian  Age,  the  lizard  mind  was  the 
liighest  in  existence;  and  if  there  be  nothing 
above  and  separate  from  nature,  then  the  fish- 
lizard-god  was,  in  the  secondary  geological  series 
the  supreme  being;  or  at  least  the  supremest 
being  that  acted  in  connection  with  the  earth. 

But,  is  it  said  that  not  only  the  laws  and  be- 
ings of  our  earth,  but  the  laws  and  beings  of  our 


PERSONALITY    OF    GOD.  91 

wliole  system,  or  of  the  universe,  are  included 
in  the  idea  of  'progressive  development,'  and 
that  with  this  enlarged  conception,  God  can  not 
be  separated  from  nature  ? '  Now,  admitting  the 
idea  to  be  expanded,  then,  if  God  can  not  be 
separated  from  nature,  He  is  in  different  stages 
of  development  in  the  universe  at  the  same  time. 
He  is  in  different  stages  of  development  at  the 
same  time  in  our  solar  system,  as  the  earth  is  in 
a  different  stage  of  progress  from  the  moon; 
thus,  in  either  view,  the  idea  is  an  absurdity. 

The  legitimate  ultimatum  of  any  theory  that 
recognizes  the  law  of  progressive  development  in 
creation  as  a  power  developing  new  and  higher 
species  out  of  lower  ones,  and  which  affirms  at  the 
same  time  that  '  God  is  nature '  and  '  inseparable 
from  nature,'  thus  placing  divine  interposition  out 
of  the  question,  the  ultimatum  of  such  a  theory 
is,  that  as  law  has  produced  new  species  pro- 
gressively from  the  mollusk  to  the  man,  so  the 
future  will  be  as  the  past;  the  latter  product 
rising  above  previous  ones,  until  the  laws  of  na- 
ture will  create  a  God,  instead  of  God  creating 
nature. 

"What  a  rest  to  the  soul  is  the  rational,  philo- 
sophical, and   scriptural   view,  compared  with 


92  LIVING    QUESTIONS  OF    THE    AGE. 

such  atheistic  monstrosities.  A  true  science 
predicates  matter  and  its  properties  in  the  be- 
ginning; force  developed  and  laws  instituted  by 
the  dispositions  of  matter;  organic  life  and  pro- 
gress from  lower  to  higher  forms;  that  progress 
in  nature  effected  by  the  instrumentality  ol 
natural  forces  and  laws ;  the  method  of  advance 
by  the  destruction  of  lower  and  the  introduction 
of  higher  species; — the  whole  produced,  ad- 
vanced, and  controlled  by  laws,  and  in  accordance 
with  a  plan  which  bears  the  impress  of  a  Su- 
preme Creator  and  Governor  of  the  universe." 

There  are  likewise,  moral  considerations  con- 
necting themselves  with  this  subject  which  add 
to  the  difficulties  of  skepticism,  while  they 
accumulate  proofs  of  the  personal  existence  of 
the  Divine  Being. 

Reason  can  account  for  things  as  they  are, 
only  upon  one  of  three  theories. 

1.  Chance,  or  the  undetermined  succession  of 
events,  in  which  nothing  is  settled,  but  every 
thing  happens  fortuitously  and  without  design. 

2.  An  omnipotent  fate  or  law,  sometimes  called 
necessity,  or  the  necessity  of  things,  which  causes 
Bnd  determines  each  event  to  exist  invariably  as 
it  does;  and  which  must  thus  cause  all  events  in 
matter  and  mind  forever. 


t 


PERSONALITY    OF   GOD.  93 

3.  A  supreme  intelligent  Creator  iind  Law- 
giver, who  governs  the  universe  by  laws  adapted 
to  the  nature  of  things. 

The  first  of  these  theories  needs  no  discussion. 
The  second  theory  has  been  proposed  by  skepti- 
cal inquirers  ever  since  the  birth  of  philosophy. 
It  is  still  held  in  some  form  by  atheists,  by 
materialists,  by  those  who  believe  in  a  law-soul 
of  the  world;  and  more  recently  by  some  who 
seem  to  believe  that  the  machine  of  the  universe 
being  started,  its  own  impulse  produces  all  phe- 
nomena and  all  results  which  are  exhibited  in 
the  worlds  of  matter  and  of  mind. 

Supposing  this  theory  to  be  true,  what  do  we 
learn  concerning  the  moral  character  of  God, 
and  the  condition  and  prospects  of  man? 

He  who  doubts  the  existence  of  a  personal 
God,  is  placed  by  that  doubt  in  a  peculiar  posi- 
tion before  his  own  consciousness: — he  is  a 
creature  without  a  Creator,  a  child  without  a 
father,  and  an  effect  without  a  cause.  But 
leaving  laconics  which  need  explanation,  it  will 
not  be  denied  that  man  is  a  mortal  and  depend- 
ent being.  He  drd  not  cause  his  own  existence, 
and  he  is  liable  at  any  moment  to  suffer  detriment 
in  mind  and  body  by  laws  or  circumstances  over 


94  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

which  he  has  no  control.  If  there  be  no  per- 
sonal God  who  administers  a  moral  government 
which  differs  from  the  allotments  of  nature,  then 
man  is  plainly  the  victim  of  a  power  that  is  ma- 
lignant in  its  nature.  Call  that  power  what  you 
please,  the  "substantiality  of  matter,"  as  Mr. 
Parker  would  say;  or  the  impersonal  nature  of 
things,  as  Mirabaud  and  Compte  would  assert. 
A  personal  God  separate  from  nature  being  ig- 
nored, then  the  nature  of  things  is  a  power,  man 
is  subject  to  that  power,  and  that  power  is  evil 
•per  se,  and  evil  in  development.  If  this  blind 
I30wer  be  called  God,  it  can  be  described  by  ad- 
ding a  single  adjective  to  the  definition  of  mate- 
rialists. "God,  neither  personal  nor  impersonal, 
conscious  nor  unconscious ' ' — but  malignant. 

In  order  to  see  the  ground  of  this  affirmation, 
notice  in  connection  with  it,  the  phenomena  of 
conscience.  If  all  things  occur  by  a  force  of 
nature,  or  by  any  impersonal  force  operating 
through  nature,  a  man  should  suffer  no  more  for 
an  evil  act  than  a  good  one.  If  a  parent  were 
to  force,  or  even  influence  his  child  to  do  a  cer- 
tain action,  and  then  punislT  him  for  doing  it, 
such  a  father  would  be  a  monster.  It  has  been 
replied  to  this,  that  a  man  suffers  compunction 


PERSONALITY    OF   GOD.  95 

of  conscience  because  he  believes  an  act  to  be 
wrong,  and  thus  believing,  it  is  rigbteousness, 
in  the  nature  of  things,  which  causes  him  to 
suffer  for  it.  But  evidently  this  reply  only  re- 
moves the  difficulty  one  step  further  back.  Ac- 
cording to  this  system,  a  man's  faith,  good  or 
bad,  is  produced  as  much  by  a  force  of  nature 
and  circumstance  as  his  actions;  hence,  the 
compunction  of  conscience  is  still  the  result  of 
a  necessitated  antecedent.  Nature,  therefore, 
which  attaches  remorse  to  an  act  which  she  her- 
self produces,  either  immediately  or  by  a  chain 
of  causes,  is  just  as  malignant  as  a  parent  would 
be  if  he  influenced  his  son  to  do  a  wrong  action 
and  th^n  punished  him  for  doing  it.  If  man  be 
a  voluntary  moral  agent,  and  sin  a  moral  evil, 
the  office  of  conscience  in  admonishing  of  sin 
and  denouncing  the  sinner,  is  an  evidence  of  the 
mercy  and  justice  of  God.  But  if  man  be  not 
a  personal  agent,  if  God  be  not  a  personal  sove- 
reign, the  conscience  is  not  only  a  mystery,  but 
a  malignity. 

It  is,  moreover,  a  law  of  man's  moral  nature 
that  the  more  he  loves  evil,  and  the  more  fre- 
quently he  sins,  the  less  he  sufters  from  the 
inflictions  of  conscience.      If,    then,    there   be 


96  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

beyond  tins  law  of  nature  no  God  who  is  the 
moral  governor  and  judge  of  men,  then  this  na- 
ture of  things  is  evidently  malignant;  because 
many  men  grow  more  selfish  and  wicked  till 
they  die,  and  tlie  more  evil  they  become,  the  less 
remorse  they  feel  for  sin.  Nature  thus  makes 
sin  the  way  of  life.  Despots  succeed  in  crush- 
ing out  light  and  liberty  by  banishing  the  mas- 
ter-spirits of  the  age,  and  shedding  rivers  of 
human  blood,  as  those  heartless  adventurers  the 
Bonapartes,  and  I  had  almost  written,  some  of 
their  despicable  American  biographers.  And 
yet,  thousands  of  widows  and  orphans  suffer 
thousands  of  times  more  in  consequence  of  their 
evil  acts  than  they  do  themselves.  Who  dare 
say  that  if  this  be  the  work  of  nature  beyond 
which  there  is  no  God,  that  nature  is  not  malig- 
nant ?  In  charity  we  accept  some  of  Mr.  Par- 
ker's best  definitions  as  his  prevailing  idea  of 
God ;  but  wlien  he  becomes  a  materialist  with 
Mirabaud,  or  a  pantheist,  or  law-soulist  with 
Chambers  and  Compte,  then,  instead  of  writing 
down  his  impersonal  God  as  "knowledge,  love, 
power,"  he  should  write  power,  law,  malignity. 
But  furthermore,  and  finally,  and  concluRively, 
unless  the  Maker  has  incorporated  a  falsehood 


PEESONALTTY  OF  GOD.  97 

into  the  human  soul,  man  is  a  free,  responsible 
agent,  and  God  is  a  personal  moral  governor. 
Man  is  so  constituted,  that  he  can  not  feel  guilty 
for  wrong,  unless  he  is  conscious  that  he  was 
voluntary  in  the  wrong  act.  If,  therefore,  he  is 
not  the  responsible  cause  of  his  own  moral  action, 
God  has  placed  a  lying  witness  in  his  soul. 

But  look  again  at  the  irrefragible  testimony 
which  the  human  consciousness  gives  of  the  re- 
sponsibility of  man  and  the  personality  of  God. 
Man  is  actually  so  constituted,  as  a  moral  being, 
that  obedience  and  gratitude  can  be  exercised 
only  toward  a  personal  being,  a  being  who  per- 
sonally and  voluntarily  does  us  good.  Can  man 
be  grateful  to  the  bread  that  satisfies  his  hunger? 
Can  he  love  and  obey  something  that  is  neither 
personal  nor  impersonal  in  any  comprehensible 
sense?  The  thought  is  preposterous!  Unless 
the  moral  nature  of  man  be  a  lie,  produced  by 
malignity,  there  is  a  personal  conscious  God,  to 
obey  and  love  whom  is  the  life  and  adaptation  of 
the  human  soul. 

Is  it  not  ridiculous,  as  well  as  preposterous,  to 

think   of  the  author    of   this  book  expatiating 

upon  the  nature  of  God,  with  the  exhortation  to 

love  and  obedience  which  must  follow.   He  says, 

7 


98  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF   THE  AGE. 

my  hearers — "God  is  the  ground  of  nature — He 
is  what  is  permanent  in  the  passing,  what  is 
real  in  the  apparent,"  "God  is  the  materiahty 
of  matter,"  so  "He  is  the  spirituahty  of  spirit." 
But  "He  is  neither  personal  nor  conscious,  Uke 
Peter  and  Joseph,  nor  impersonal  and  unconscious 
like  the  moss  or  the  ether."  "The  greatest  re- 
ligious souls  can  say  with  an  old  heathen,  'Since 
God  can  not  be  fully  declared  by  any  one  name, 
though  compounded  of  never  so  many;  therefore 
He  is  rather  to  be  called  by  every  name.  He 
being  both  one  and  all  things.'"  The  preacher 
then  adds  an  exhortation,  thus:  "As  I  have 
always  told  you,  my  friends,  love  and  obedience 
to  God  is  the  duty  and  happiness  of  man.  You 
have  heard  my  description  of  'the  dear  God.' 
I  enjoin  upon  you  to  love  and  obey  The  Materi- 
ality of  Matter,  the  All  Things,  the  Spirituality 
of  Spirit,  the  neither  personal  nor  impersonal, 
conscious  nor  unconscious  God.  Yea,  my  hear- 
ers, I  say  unto  you  obey  it !  It  is  immanent  in 
all  things — in  the  blush  of  the  rose  and  in  the 
bite  of  the  dog — in  the  breath  of  the  breeze  and 
in  the  howl  of  the  maniac.  Remember,  too, 
our  party  'calls  religion  nature,'  believes  'the 
divine  incarnation  is  in  all  mankind,'  'asks  no 


PERSONALITY    OF    GOD.  99 

forgiveness  for  sin,'  therefore  we  will  imitate  the 
divine  incarnation,  and  if  we  sin  we  will  ask  no 
forgiveness.     Amen  and  amen." 

Now,  if  tins  be  preposterous,  it  is  so  because 
it  i{J  an  application  of  Unitarian  Rationalism  in 
the  light  of  common  sense.  If  any  one  says 
that  passages  are  so  clustered  together  as  to 
make  them  seem  preposterous,  we  deny  the  im- 
peachment. Other  results  may  be  obtained  by 
inferences  from  other  passages,  but  the  above  is 
a  fair  and  unavoidable  result  from  one  class  of 
passages  written  in  this  volume. 

And  besides,  there  are  single  passages  which 
are  as  preposterous  in  themselves  as  these  are 
pnt  together,  and  not  only  in  this  volume,  but 
they  are  found  in  nearly  all  this  class  of  writers. 
In  one  of  his  Ten  Sermons,  for  instance,  the  au- 
thor says  of  a  fly,  "  Lo !  here  I  am  an  individual 
and  conscious  thing,  sucking  the  bosom  of  the 
world."  This  is  certainly  hyperbole  run  mad; 
and  is  just  about  as  ridiculous  as  it  would  be  to 
say  of  the  eminent  Mr,  Emerson;  "Lo!  there 
tie  is,  an  individual  and  conscious  philosophist, 
sucking  transcendentalism  from  the  great  toe  of 
the — man  in  the  moon." 

Such  nonsense  produced  by  men  of  ability, 


100         LIVING    QUESTIONS  OF    THE    AGE. 

capable  of  writing  eloquently,  sensibly,  and  con- 
sistently, is  only  another  evidence  that  without 
faith,  the  mind  is  like  a  ship  without  ballast, 
driven  by  contrary  winds.  Let  us  turn  away 
from  such  hallucinations — hallucinations  that 
mingle  the  evil  and  the  incongruous  with  the 
good,  and  rejoice  together  in  the  evidence,  that 
above  the  laws  of  nature,  there  presides  a  su- 
preme, personal  God,  the  parent,  and  the  presi- 
dent of  the  universe. 

There  are  moral  evidences  derived  from  the 
nature  of  man,  besides  those  to  which  we  have 
alluded,  that  affirm  the  divine  personality;  evi- 
dences in  which  all  good  and  thoughtful  men  will 
rejoice  together,  although  the  doubts  and  difficul- 
ties interposed  by  skeptics  were  a  thousand  fold 
greater  than  they  are.  God  exists  as  a  person- 
al being   with    moral    attributes:     He  is  just, 

1.  Because  He  has  connected  the  monitions 
and  reproofs  of  conscience,  with  actions  known 
to  be  wrong. 

2.  Because  if  conscience  be  not  heeded,  it 
leaves  the  transgressor  to  grow  hardened  in  evil; 
evil  which  in  itself  is  incipient  penalty,  and 
which  being  voluntarily  persisted  in,  becomes 
confirmed  iu  the  character  of  the  transgressor. 


PEKSONALITY    OF    GOD,  101 

3.  Because  motives  to  good,  if  obeyed  become 
more  influential;  if  disobeyed,  less  so. 

4.  Because  the  moral  constitution  is  so  formed 
that  the  more  sinful  men  become,  the  more  blind 
they  become,  both  to  the  evil  and  the  desert  of 
sin. 

5.  Because  evil  is  not  only  linked  with  sin 
and  penalty  here,  but  while  it  brings  present 
evil,  it  also  forms  an  evil  character  in  the  soul, 
which  secures  future  evil. 

Finally — God  is  good — 

Because  love  is  happiness  and  life,  and  He 
has  made  the  soul  so  that  its  best  good  consists 
in  a  life  of  love  to  God  and  to  men.  And  as 
love  begets  love,  God  becomes  immanently  per- 
sonal in  Christ,  in  whose  sacrifice  He  reveals 
divine  love,  and  thus  by  faith,  love  is  begotten, 
and  the  law  of  love  is  fulfilled  in  all  "who  walk 
not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit. 

Is  not  such  evidence,  and  the  known  practical 
results  of  the  Christian  faith,  a  satisfaction  to 
the  reason  and  a  joy  to  the  heart,  while  the 
brilliant  vagaries  of  skeptical  thinkers  are  emp- 
ty and  evil  continually? 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE   TEI-UNITY    OF   THE    DIVINE   MIND. 

I  now  propose  to  offer  some  reasons  affirma- 
tory  of  the  orthodox  faith,  with  the  design  more 
especially  to  illustrate  and  defend  some  of  the 
doctrines  which  are  controverted  or  rejected  by 
the  skeptics  of  our  times. 

In  what  I  shall  say  I  do  not  propose  to  give  a 
scriptural  exposition  of  these  doctrines,  nor  to 
present  them  in  the  form  of  a  dogmatic  state- 
ment; nor  do  I  propose  to  illustrate  or  confirm 
the  symbols  of  any  particular  denomination. 

Illustrations  are  seldom  perfectly  accurate; 
and  reasons  which  should  be  limited  to  certain 
aspects  of  a  question,  may  be  missapplied  to 
cover  the  whole  subject.  My  design,  therefore, 
will  not  be  to  prove  the  systematic  form  of  the 
doctrines  of  which  I  shall  speak;  but  to  show 
that  the  evangehcal  interpretation  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, as  generally  ex{)ressed  in  the  formularies 
(102) 


TRI-UNITY    OF    THIJ- DIVINE    MIND.        103 

of  the  churches,  has  illustrative  and  analogical 
reasoning  on  its  side.  I  desire  to  show  that  rea- 
son is  with  the  evangelical  system,  and  not 
against  it ;  and  that  many  aspects  of  vital  Chris- 
tian doctrine,  as  expressed  in  the  New  Testament 
may  .be  sustained  by  accurate  deduction,  and 
illustrated  by  the  most  profound  analogies. 

Let  us  look  first  at  the  doctrine  of  the  Trini- 
ty. This  doctrine  is  contained  in  the  general 
expression  that  there  is  one  God,  one  name,  Je- 
hovah, who  is  manifested  in  the  Scriptures  as 
subsisting  in  three  divine  persons,  the  Father, 
the  Son,  the  Holy  Grhost. 

It  is  agreed  that  the  word  person  is  used  in 
dogmatic  theology,  not  because  its  common  im- 
port conveys  a  perfect  sense  of  the  doctrine  as 
revealed  in  the  New  Testament;  but  because  it 
conveys  a  sense,  which,  being  defined  by  the 
phrases  of  the  Scriptures,  gives  an  accurate  idea. 
It  is,  moreover,  the  most  proper,  we  may  say 
the  only  proper  word,  because  the  sacred  writers 
all  use  the  pronouns  which  the  laws  of  language 
require  should  be  used  in  a  personal  sense  in 
substitution  for  Father,  Son,  and  Spirit.  No 
other  word  in  any  language  will  generalize  the 
expressions  of  the  sacred  writers.     They  apply 


104  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF   THE  AGE. 

tlie  personal  pronouns  to  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Spirit,  wliile  yet  they  give  to  each  of  these  the 
attributes  of  the  one  name — Jehovah,  It  is 
easy  for  men  to  declaim  against  the  doctrine  of 
the  Trinity,  but  so  long  as  they  can  not  deny 
this  usage  of  the  inspired  writers,  there  is  a 
Scriptural  basis  for  the  orthodox  interpretation. 
We  affirm,  then,  that  there  is  in  the  divine 
nature  a  basis  for  the  tri-personal  manifestation 
of  God,  and  that  it  is  only  by  the  manifestation 
of  God  in  three  persons  that  the  divine  nature 
can  be  efficaciously  known.* 

*The  Andover  exposition  of  Schleiermacher,  in  the  notes  of  Pro- 
fessor Stuart,  affirms  a  basis  in  the  divine  mind  for  tlie  triune 
manifestation  of  God  to  men  ;  and  affirms,  likewise,  the  adapta- 
tions of  this  divine  manifestation  to  the  wants  of  humanity.  "Tri- 
nnity,  according  to  my  humble  apprehension,  consists  in  something 
that  belongs  to  the  Monos  itself,  and  wliich  laid  the  foundations 
for  the  manifestations  of  Father,  and  Son,  and  Spirit."  "  Who 
can  refuse  to  acknowledge  that  eitlier  some  modiflcation  or  some 
property  of  the  divine  nature  in  respect  to  substance  or  attribute 
general  enough,  certainly,  led  to  the  manifestation  of  the  Godhead 
in  what  we  call  a  personal  manner  ?" 

Dr.  Bnshnell,  of  Hartford,  who  gives  Schleiermacherisra  blind- 
ed by  an  imperfect  conception,  doubts  this,  as  he  does  the  proper 
humanity  of  Christ.  In  our  Inimble  opinion,  Andover  is  right  in 
its  conception  of  the  basis  of  the  divine  manifestation  and  of  tlie 
person  of  the  Redeemer. 

It  has  been  true  in  times  past,  that  the  fear  of  the  power  which 
graceless  dogmatics  have  exercised  to  create  odium  against  rea- 
eon,  has  prevented  many  who  love  the  truth  from  conceding  the 


TRI-UNITT    OF   THE    DIVINE   MIND.        105 

It  is  well  known  that  in  the  age  of  Plato, 
when  reason  reached  her  culminating  point 
among  the  ancients,  the  idea  of  the  tri-unity  of 
God  was  strikingly  approximated.  Now,  while 
this  fact  does  not  prove  that  the  depths  of  the 
divine  can  be  fathomed  by  the  finite  human,  we 
think  it  does  prove  that  the  most  profound 
indications  of  the  light  of  nature,  point  in  the 
direction  of  orthodox  Christian  doctrine* 

The  Philonic  exposition  is  grounded  in  the 
phraseology  of  the  Old  Testament — the  Platonic 
in  the  constitution  of  the  human  mind.  Both 
of  these  bear  the  impress  of  the  Maker's  mind, 

value  of  the  elder  developments  of  the  human  reason  on  this  and 
kindred  subjects,  that  of  Plato  and  Philo,  for  instance  ;  but  so 
lontj  as  it  is  true  that  the  Talmudic  and  Alexandrine  exposition  of 
the  Logos  gives  the  usus  loquendi  of  apostolic  times,  the  man  de- 
parts from  the  correct  laws  of  interpretation  who  refuses  to  ac- 
knowledge the  fact. 

*  The  seeds  of  the  philosophy  of  Philo  are  found  in  the  Old 
Testament,  while  his  system,  if  he  really  has  one,  is  developed  in 
Platonic  phraseology.  Philo,  in  some  passages,  undoubtedly  at- 
tributes personality  to  the  logos  ;  and  it  must  be  conceded  that 
the  Apostle  John  coincides  in  conception  more  nearly  with  Philo 
than  he  does  with  some  symbolic  expressions  of  later  times,  even 
of  our  times. 

We  miglit  speak,  too,  of  some  of  the  most  profound  thinkers 
among  the  Unitarians,  who  have  intimated  in  impressive  circum- 
stances, and  in  imposing  positions,  a  desire  to  be  understood  as 
approximating  the  Trinitarian  views  of  the  Godhead. — See  Chan' 
ning  and  Bancroft's  Addresses. 


106         LIVING    QUESTIONS  OF    THE   AGE. 

and  hence  analogies  derived  from  tliese  sources 
are  founded  in  truth.  We  do  not  affirm  that 
they  are  always  rightly  applied. 

"The  physical  universe,"  it  is  said,  "as  well  as 
the  moral,  bears  upon  its  nature  the  impress  of 
the  Creator."  Certainly  it  does,  and  those  who 
are  disposed  to  pantheistic  notions — who  tell 
their  hearers  that  "nature  is  relidon,"  and  who 
find  "God  immanent  in  all  things" — will,  of 
course,  favor  analogies  from  the  nature  of  mate- 
rial things  to  the  nature  of  God.  But  when 
they  say,  that  "a  simple  monad  lies  at  the 
origin  of  all  natural  phenomena,"  the  illustration 
is  clearly  at  fault.  If  the  atomic  philosophy  be 
true,  there  is  an  infinity  of  atoms,  and  likewise 
a  diversity  in  their  qualities. 

The  elementary  principles  of  matter  may  be 
separated  the  one  from  the  other,  by  chemical 
processes,  and  each  of  these,  perhaps,  has  a  mo- 
lecular constitution ;  but  the  actual  economic 
entities  of  the  physical  world  are  mostly  tri- 
unities.  The  elements  of  the  phenomenal  world 
were  not  created  to  exist  in  separate  unities,  but 
to  combine  in  the  forms  in  which  matter  is  man- 
ifested to  man.  The  elementary  principles  prove 
by  their  affinities  that  they  abhor  absolute  unity. 


TEI-UNITY    OF    THE    DIVINE   MIND.         107 

Some  two  elements,  with  electricity,  tlie  every- 
where-present spirit  of  matter,  combine  to  form 
the  character  of  material  things,  as  manifested 
to  the  human  sense.  The  earth,  air,  water,  are 
trinities,  or  rather  tri-unities.  They  have  qual- 
ities as  unities  and  qualities  as  tri-unities.  The 
elements  of  things  were  not  designed  to  exist 
alone.  They  seek  tri-unity  in  one  spirit  by 
their  inherent  affinities.  And  in  tri-unity  alone 
is  nature  practically  adapted  to  humanity. 
Physical  nature  is  mostly  manifested  by  tri- 
unity. 

The  evangelical  view  of  the  Godhead  does  not 
need  that  we  should  plead  this  analogy  in  its 
support;  but  the  fact  that  matter  is  manifested, 
in  many  instances,  by  a  tri-unity,  and  that  the 
nature  of  elementary  things  is  such  that  they 
seek  union  in  a  trinity,  and  that  it  is  only  in 
this  form  that  they  have,  for  the  most  part,  a 
practical  value  and  relation  to  other  things — this, 
we  affirm,  proves  this  much,  viz.,  the  analogies 
of  the  physical  world  are  opposed  to  those  who 
argue  from  nature,  for  absolute  unity  in  the 
manifestation  or  in  ^e  nature  of  God.  The 
awful  solitude  of  one  individual,  elementary  es- 
sence is  a  thought  against  which  the  heart  and 
reaF^n  relnctai^'. 


108  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF   THE  AGE. 

Suppose  we  look  into  the  intellectual  world, 
and  inquire  whether  there  are  not  analogies  here 
that  connect  themselves  with  this  subject? 

Reason  is  an  absolute  unity.  Love  is  an  ab- 
solute unity.  Will  is  an  absolute  unity.  These 
are  the  same  in  themselves,  and  the  same  in  all 
moral  beings.  They  are  separable  from  each 
other,  and  yet  united  in  one  consciousness.  Hu- 
man reason,  love,  and  will,  are  finite,  and  they 
may  be  perverted  in  finite  beings,  but  they  are 
the  same  in  their  nature  whether  they  inhere  in 
a  finite,  or  in  an  infinite  being. 

The  oldest  Scripture  declares  that  man  was 
created  in  the  moral  image  of  God.  To  infer, 
therefore,  the  moral  nature  of  the  Maker  from 
the  moral  nature  of  man,  is  not  only  warranted 
by  the  fact  that  reason,  will,  and  love  must  be 
the  same  in  kind  in  all  beings,  but  it  is  warrant- 
ed likewise  by  the  statements  of  revelation. 
Now,  while  we  do  not  find  the  human  nature 
manifesting  itself  tri- personally,  yet  we  do  find 
humanity  manifested  in  a  tripartite  form.  And 
thus  reason  has  a  basis  in  the  finite  for  accepting 
what  is  revealed  concerning  the  infinite. 

Again:  Man  is  one  in  nature.  He  is  con- 
scious of  oneness  in  himself,  while  yet  his  nature 


TRI-UNITY   OF    THE    DIVINE    MIND.        109 

is  such  that  it  can  be  made  known  or  revealed 
to  others  only  by  a  tri-fold  manifestation.  To 
love  is  a  different  thing  from  to  know;  and  to 
know  differs  both  from  to  will  and  to  love;  yet 
it  is  the  one  man  that  thinks,  wills,  and  loves. 
And  not  only  this,  but  while  these  powers  of  the 
human  mind  are  diverse  from  each  other,  yet  the 
whole  man  acts  in  each  of  them,  the  whole  man 
thinks,  wills,  or  loves. 

We  may  know  a  man  by  his  intellectual  man- 
ifestation, while  we  know  little  or  nothing  of 
his  affections  and  will — nothing  of  his  moral 
character.  This  is  experienced  sometimes  when 
we  read  an  unknown  author.  We  only  know  a 
man's  nature  truly,  when  he  has  revealed  himself 
to  us  in  his  threefold  manifestation  of  intellect, 
sensibility,  and  will. 

This  analogy  is  but  introductory.  It  does  not, 
in  my  opinion,  give  a  correct  idea  of  the  Trinity. 
A  better  analogy  than  this  can  be  derived  from 
the  economy  of  moral  natures.  The  logos  of 
of  the  mind,  the  mental  exercises  or  ideas,  is 
not  the  same  as  the  conscious  I  in  the  soul  of 
man.  Thought  is  born  of  man's  conscious  na- 
ture,  as  the  light  is  born  of  the  sun.  But  in 
moral  beings  there  is  something  in  the  nature 


110  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF    THE  AGE. 

tliat  stands  back  of  tLouglit,  and  judges  of  its 
character  and  fitness.  I  see  my  thoughts  and 
judge  of  them.*  The  I  that  sees  and  judges  of 
the  product  of  the  mind  is  as  separate  from  the 
thought,  in  one  sense,  as  the  subject  is  from  the 
object.  In  their  relation  to  each  other,  the  one 
is  begotten  of  the  substance  of  the  other ;  yet 
they  are  in  a  true  sense  one  ;  one  is  the  manifes- 
tation of  the  other  ;  one  is  the  vital  image  or 
living  exhibition  of  the  other.  The  unknown 
one  in  the  human  or  in  the  divine  nature  can  be 
made  known  only  by  this  manifestation;  and  yet 
the  true  character  of  this  logos,  or  son  of  the 
mind,  is  known  only  to  the  unknown  one.  This 
philosophy  Jesus  teaches  as  true  of  Himself  in 
his  relation  to  the  Father.  "No  man  knoweth 
the  Son  but  the  Father  ;  and  no  man  knoweth 
the  Father  but  the  Son,  and  he  to  whomsoever 
the  Son  will  reveal  him." 

Again,  while  the  logos,  or  conceived  ideas,  is 
neither  the  affections  nor  the  will,  yet  will  and 
affection  are  manifested    through  and  by  the  in- 

*  This  thought  undoubtedly  possessed  the  devout  Baxter  v/hen 
he  advised  his  friends  "to  be  none  of  those  who  shall  charge 
with  heresy  all  who  say  the  three  persons  in  the  Godhead  are — • 
God  understanding  himself,  God  understood  by  hinaself,  and  God 
loving  himself." 


TRI-UNITY    OF    THE    DIVINE   MIND.         Ill 

tellio-ence.  The  logos  is  the  out-birtli  of  the 
moral  nature,  and  it  is  through  the  logos  that 
the  tenderness  of  the  affection  and  the  determin- 
ation of  the  will  are  made  known  to  others. 
The  logos  is  an  out-birth.  Will  and  love  are  a 
procession  of  the  moral'naturethrough  the  logos. 
They  are  seen  in  the  intelligence,  and  manifest- 
ed by  it.  * 

The  Scriptural  statement  then  may  be  affirmed 
as  profoundly  accordant  with  the  analogies  of 
nature.  "In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and 
the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was 
God."  Then  there  is  the  Word  conceived,  and 
the  Word  revealed  or  manifested.^}* 

*  We  purjiosely,  for  the  most  part,  avoid  the  imperfect  defini- 
tions of  mental  philosophy,  and  use  such  words  as  we  hope  may 
be  plain  to  common  readers.  Such  as  will  refer  each  reader  to 
his  own  consciousness. 

f  Matthew  Henry,  the  best  read  in  the  Bible  of  all  the  com- 
mentators, has  clearly  conceived  and  distinctly  stated  the  inspired 
conception  in  the  first  of  John.  We  give  the  passage  in  full,  for 
the  benefit  of  any  who  seldom  refer  to  this  most  biblical  of  all 
the  commentators. 

'■The  Chaldee  paraphrase  very  frequently  calls  the  Messia  the 
Word  of  Jehovah,  and  speaks  of  many  things  in  the  Old  Testament 
said  to  be  done  by  the  Lord,  as  clone  by  the  Word  of  the  Lord. 
Even  the  vulgar  Jews  were  taugl't  that  the  Word  of  God  was  tlie 
same  with  God.  The  evangelist,  in  the  close  of  his  discourse, 
John  1:18,  plainly  tells  us  why  he  calls  Christ  the  Word  of  God,  be- 
cause he  is  the  only -begotten  Son  which  is  ir  the  bosom  of  the 
Father,  and  has  declared  him.  Word  is  two-fold,  word  con- 
ceived and  word  uttered. 


112         LIVINQ    QUESTIONS  OF    THE   AGE. 

Some  passages  from  the  ancients,  held  at  the 
time  when  the  primitive  churcli  was  exercising 
the  power  which  converted  the  world,  will  give 
the  mode  of  thinking  among  the  best  men  of 
that  age.  The  following  beautiful  passage  is  a 
true  translation  from  the  Exhortation  of  Clement 
of  Alexandria  to  the  Greeks:  "The  divine 
Logos — the  Christ — was  the  cause  of  our  being, 
and  our  well-being  also,  for  he  was  in  God;  and 
now    this  Logos  himself   appears  to  men;  tlie 

(1.)  There  is  the  word  conceived:  that  is  thought,  which  is  tlie 
only  immediate  product  of  the  soul,  all  the  operations  of  which 
are  performed  by  thought,  and  it  is  one  with  the  soul.  Thus  the 
second  person  in  the  Trinity  is  fitly  called  the  Word;  for  he  is  the 
first-begotten  of  the  Father;  that  eternal  wisdom  whicli  the  Lord 
possessed,  as  the  soul  doth  its  thought  in  the  beginning*of  his  way, 
Frov.  viii.  22.  There  is  nothing  we  are  more  sure  of  than  tliat 
we  thinlv,  j'ct  nothing  we  are  more  in  the  dark  about  than  how 
we  think;  who  can  declare  the  generation  of  thought  in  the  soul? 
Surely  then  the  generations  and  births  of  the  eternal  mind  may 
well  be  allowed  to  be  great  mysteries  of  godliness,  wliich  we  can 
not  fathom,  while  yet  we  adore  the  depth. 

(2.)  There  is  the  word  uttered,  and  that  is  speech.  Thus  Christ 
is  the  Word,  for  by  him  God  has  in  these  last  days  spoken  to  US| 
ffeb.  1.  2,  and  has  directed  us  to  hear  him,  MaM.  xvii.  5.  He  has 
made  known  God's  mind  to  us^  as  a  man's  word  or  speech  makes 
known  his  thoughts,  as  far  as  he  pleases,  and  no  fiirtlier.  Christ 
is  called  that  wonderful  speaker.  Ban.  viii.  23,  the  speaker  of 
things  hidden  and  strange.  He  is  the  Word  speaking  from  God 
to  us,  and  to  God  for  us.  John  Baptist  was  the  voice;  but  Christ 
the  Word;  being  the  Word,  he  is  the  Truth,  the  Amen,  the  faith- 
ful Witness  of  the  mind  of  God." 


TRI-UNITY    OF   THE  DIVINE  MIND.         113 

only  being  that  ever  partook  of  both  natures, 
as  well  that  of  God  as  of  man ;  to  be  the  cause 
of  all  good  to  us.  From  him  we  learn  to  live 
virtuously  ;  by  him  we  are  conducted  in  the  way 
of  eternal  life ;  as  saith  the  divine  apostle  ol 
the  Lord,  '  The  love  of  God  the  Saviour  was 
manifested  to  all  men,  instructing  us  in  order 
that  we,  having  abjured  all  impiety  and  worldly 
desires,  might  live  soberly  and  piously  in  this 
world,  expecting  in  blessed  hope  the  manifesta- 
tion of  the  glory  of  our  great  God  and  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ.' " 

TertuUian  says:  " The  Greeks  term  that  Logos 
which  we  translate  Word,  and  thus  our  people, 
i.  e.  the  Christians,  for  brevity  sake,  say,  '  In  the 
beginning  the  Word  was  with  God,'  though  it 
would  be  more  proper  to  say  reason,  since  God 
was  not  speaking  from  the  beginning,  although 
rational.  *  *  *  Considering,  therefore,  and 
disposing  by  his  reason,  he  effected  his  will  by  his 
Word,  which  thou  mayest  easily  understand  by 
what  passes  in  thyself.  *  *  *  when  thou 
conferrest  silently  with  thine  own  reason." — 
Tertul.  adv.  Praxeam,  c.  v. 

Says  Justin,  Ajp.  ii.:    "It  is  not  allowable, 
therefore,  to  think  otherwise  of  the  Spirit  and 
8 


1  14  LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF   THE    AGE. 

the  Power  which  is  in  God,  than  that  it  is  the 
Logos,  which  also  is  the  first-born  of  God." 

"That  distinction  in  the  nature  of  God  which 
would  lead  to  His  development  as  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Spirit,  and  which  fitted  him  for  this, 
existed  from  all  eternity,  and  was  an  inseparable 
part  of  His  nature ;  but  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Ghost,  in  the  full  sense  of  the  ecomomy  of  the 
gospel.  He  actually  was  not,  until  the.  incarna- 
tion of  the  Logos,  and  the  outpouring  of  the 
Spirit  had  been  actually  completed." — M.Stuart. 

The  origin  of  the  conceived  Word  is  as  old 
as  the  divine  mind.  He  was  in  the  beginnino; 
with  God,  the  eternally-begotten  Son  of  the  Fa- 
ther. But  the  revealed  or  manifested  Word  is 
no  older  in  His  relations  to  men,  than  the  time 
when  the  character  of  the  divine  mind  was  man- 
ifested to  men  by  its  Logos.  "No  man  hath 
seen  God  at  any  time;  the  only-begotten  Son, 
which  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  He  hath 
declared  him." 

Man  can  embody  his  Logos  impersonally  in 
written  languag-e,  and  send  it  thus  embodied  to 
all  nations  who  understand  the  written  charac- 
ter. Why  then  might  not  the  "Word  of  God 
become  flesh?"    Why  might  not  the  Son  of  God 


TEI-IJNITY    OF    THE    DIVINE    MIND.         115 

thus  become  personally  incarnate,  so  that  the 
affections  and  will  of  the  Father  mio;ht  be  ex- 
pressed  in  him  and  through  him,  not  imperson- 
ally but  personally,  in  life  and  power  ?  The 
Scriptures  affirm,  what  a  true  reason  approves, 
that  the  Word  of  God  did  become  flesh,  and  that 
Christ  is  the  "out-shining  of  the  Father's  glory, 
and  the  express  image  of  His  person."  "He 
that  hath  seen  Christ  hath  seen  the  Father." 
The  embodiment  of  man's  Logos  in  language  is 
only  vital  with  intelligence.  The  embodiment 
of  the  divine  Logos  in  the  flesh,  is  the  reveal - 
mentof  the  "fullness  of  the  Godhead  bodily" — 
the  logos  in  a  nature  in  which  can  be  manifested 
not  only  the  intelligence  but  the  affection  and 
will  of  God. 

Let  us  advance  one  step  further,  and  look  at 
this  thought  in  another  aspect.  Jesus  said  to 
His  disciples,  "It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go 
away,  for  if  I  go  not  away,  the  Holy  Spirit,  or 
Comforter,  will  not  come  unto  you ;  and  if  I  go 
away  I  will  send  Him  unto  you;  but  when  He 
is  come.  He  will  not  speak  of  Himself,  but  He 
will  take  of  the  things  that  belong  to  me,  and 
show  them  unto  you." 

Thus  the  Spirit  is  represented  not  as  a  revealer 


1  ]  6  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF    THE  AGE. 

of  new  truth,  but  as  a  personal  procession  from 
the  Father  through  the  Son  into  the  hearts  of 
believers.  He  takes  the  facts  furnished  by  the 
Logos,  and,  by  a  revealment  of  hfe  and  love, 
gives  efficacy,  as  divine  power  and  love  alone 
can  do,  to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  The  Son, 
spiritually  concieved,  is  eternally  begotten  of  the 
Father,  the  same  in  nature  with  him,  and  the 
only  revealer  of  the  Father.  The  Holy  Spirit 
comes  to  us  in  power  and  love,  baptized  in  the 
humanities  of  Christ,  being  revealed  in  and 
through  the  Son.  Christ  furnishes  the  material 
for  redemption — the  facts  which  reveal  the  di- 
vine nature.  The  Holy  Spirit  applies  them  in 
the  soul.  Hence,  Christ  and  the  Holy  Spirit 
dwelling  in  believers,  are  interchangeable  terms 
in  the  New  Testament.  The  Father  and  the 
Son  are  likewise  interchangeable.  "I  am  in  the 
father  and  the  Father  in  me."  So  "the  grace 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  love  of  God 
the  Father,  and  the  communion  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,"  are  with  those  who  believe.  Such  un* 
doubtedly,  is  the  apostolic  conception. 

Let  us  look  again  into  the  human  conscious- 
ness, and  listen  again  to  the  voice  of  reason, 
while  we  consider   revealed   truth   in   another 


TRI-UNITY    OF    THE    DIVINE   MIND.         117 

aspect.  Human  nature,  as  constituted  by  its 
Makei,  would  certainly  be  fitted  to  appreciate 
the  divine  character.  The  moral  relations  be- 
tween God  and  man,  the  one  being  a  sovereign, 
the  other  a  subject,  require  this;  and  the  fitness 
of  things  observable  throughout  the  creation, 
assure  us  that  there  would  be  fitness  between 
revelation  and  human  comprehension.  An  ar- 
gument, therefore,  for  the  Trinity  may  be  found 
in  its  adaptations  to  the  mental  constitution  and 
moral  necessities  of  man.  Let  us  inquire  then 
for  the  value  of  the  doctrine  of  Father,  Son,  and 
Spirit  as  adapted  to  meet  the  finite  apprehension 
of  men,  and  to  aid  them  in  approximating  a  true 
knowledge  of  the  character  of  God. 

The  mind  of  man  has  a  logical  conformation. 
It  is  made  to  ratiocinate — to  develop  processes 
of  synthesis,  analysis,  and  generalization.  In 
studying  the  nature  of  any  thing,  we  combine 
its  manifestations,  or  phenomena,  and  thus  gain 
a  knowledge  of  its  true  character.  This  being 
the  character  of  the  mind,  it  is  adapted  by  its 
constitution  to  attain  ultimate  knowledge  of  God 
through  the  revealed  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  in 
the  same  way  by  which  it  attains  knowledge  of 
other  things,  that  is,  by  the  exercise  of  its  ra- 


118         LIVING    QUESTIONS  OF    THE    AGE. 

tional  powers.  If  the  knowledge  of  God's 
character,  as  well  as  his  being,  were  by  intuition, 
as  superficial  thinkers  teach,  man  would  not 
know  the  character  of  God  as  a  reasonins:  beino-, 
but  as  an  unreasoning  animal. 

The  character  of  God  is  adapted  to  regenerate 
human  nature,  and  adapted  to  regenerated 
nature;  hence  man's  rational  nature  is  pro- 
foundly adapted  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity. 
The  mind  of  man  can  not  apprehend  the  divine- 
character,  nor  the  relations  of  God  to  his  crea- 
tures, by  a  single  conception.  Even  the  character 
and  relations  of  an  earthly  ruler  can  not  be 
compassed  by  one  grasp  of  the  mind.  Victoria 
is  not  only  Regina,  but  she  is  Defender  of  the 
Faith  and  Patroness  of  the  great  charities  of 
her  queendom.  We  speak  of  Victoria  because 
she  is  a  rare  instance  of  a  virtuous  sovereign, 
while  she  combines  in  her  person  regal,  spiritual, 
and  benevolent  prerogative.  In  order  to  form  a 
true  idea  of  the  character  of  this  sovereign,  and 
of  her  relations  to  her  realm,  we  must  form  the 
distinct  conception  of  three  regal  ofHces,  and 
of  the  queen  acting  personally  in  each  of  these, 
and  then  combine  these  several  conceptions  in 


TE,I-UNITY    OF    THE  DIVINE  MIND.  119 

one  ctiaracter.*  By  this  illustration  we  do  not, 
of  course,  mean  to  be  understood  that  the  Christ- 
hood  is  only  God  acting  officially  ;  while  this  is 
true,  yet  it  is,  as  we  have  shown,  also  true  that 
Christ  is  Logos,  the  revealer  of  the  Godhead 
bodily  and  personally.  The  statement  is  pre- 
sented to  prove  a  fact  which  is  verified  in  the 
experience  of  every  man:  a  fact,  the  considera- 
tion of  which  ought  to  influence  the  mind  of 
skeptics  to  a  right  conclusion,  that  the  mind  of 
man  is  so  constituted,  that  the  triune  manifesta- 
tion of  God  is  adapted  to  enable  him  as  a  rational 
being  to  comprehend  God ;  and  that  by  this 
manifestation  he  can  approximate  the  absolute 
truth,  far  beyond  any  attainment  he  could  make 
by  his  own  unaided  conception. 

That  man  can  have  no  just  idea  of  God,  who 
endeavors  to  compass  the  divine  mind  in  a  single 
thought.  The  bare  idea  of  power  and  Godhead, 
transfers  the  mind  back  from  the  third  to  the 
first  dispensation,  when  the  Almighty  was  known 

*  It  would,  perhaps,  be  more  proper  to  say  that  person  is  an 
intuition  or  coetaneous  conception  always  present  in  the  mind, 
when  we  conceive  ■■>f  a  moral  being;  and  the  three  offices  attach 
them  selves  by  a  mental  necessity  to  the  one  name  of  Victoria; 
and  then  the  character  of  Victoria  must  be  derived  from  her  ac- 
tion in  them  all. 


120  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF   THE    AGE. 

as  God  of  Creation  only ;  as  Jehovah,  He  was 
more  perfectly  revealed  to  Moses,  in  the  second 
dispensation ;  as  God  in  Christ,  He  is  most  per- 
fectly revealed  in  the  New  Testament.  After 
we  have  apprehended  God  as  the  Father  Al- 
mighty, and  conceived  of  him  as  truth  and  love 
in  Christ,  and  as  an  every-where-present  life  and 
power  in  the  Spirit ;  after  the  soul  has  appreci- 
ated and  appropriated,  by  faith,  all  that  there  is 
in  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  then  only  it 
has  arisen  to  the  best  knowledge  that  a  finite 
mind  can  gain  of  the  character  of  the  true  God. 
Hence  it  is  written,  "Go  teach  all  nations,  bap- 
tizing them  into  the  one  name  but  three  per- 
sons, the  Father,  the  Son,  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
lo!  I  am  with  you  always,  even  to  the  end  of 
the  dispensation." 

The  Christian  alone,  who  has  faith  in  God,  as 
revealed  in  the  New  Testament,  obtains  an 
adequate,  and  vitalizing  knowledge  of  the  divine 
character.  The  God  of  one  intuition  or  concep- 
tion is  an  abstract  nullity,  devoid  of  all  moral 
power  over  human  character  and  human  life. 
The  God  of  one  intuition,  with  the  superadded 
characteristics  which  man's  folly  or  his  philoso- 
phy always  frames  when  he  is  devoid  of  faith  in 


TRI-UNITY    OF    THE    DIVINE    MIND.         121 

revelation,  is  more  or  less  an  erroneous  and  cor- 
rupting conception.  Christianity  alone  enlightens 
the  natural  mind,  guides  the  reason,  and  matures 
the  conception  of  the  divine  character.  Hence 
the  idea  of  God,  as  conceived  by  liberal  Chris- 
tians who  reject  revealed  religion,  is  incongruous 
and  foolish.  The  Christian  alone  rises  by  faith 
and  reason  to  a  knowledge  of  the  living  and  true 
God,  clothed  in  his  attributes  of  power,  light, 
and  love. 

Shall  we  not,  then,  turn  away  from  the  hallu- 
cinations of  the  skeptics,  and  the  conceited  ra- 
tionalisms of  transcendentalists,  and  seek  in  the 
Scriptures  the  knowledge  of  God,  "whom  to 
know  aright,  as  Father,  Son,  and  Spirit,  is  life 
eternal." 


CHAPTER  Vm. 

HUMAN    DEPRAVITY. 

The  doctrine  of  human  depravity  is  rejected 
contemptuously  by  many  so-called  liberal  Chris- 
tians in  our  day  ;  and  with  these  there  are  many 
good  and  thoughtful  men  who  misapprehend  its 
import,  and  hence  doubt  of  its  truth.  This  lat- 
ter class  is  led  into  doubtupon  this  subject  about 
as  much  by  the  overstrained  definition  of  some 
orthodox  preachers,  as  they  are  by  the  same 
fault  on  the  part  of  those  who  oppose  Christian- 
ity as  a  system  of  revealed  religion. 

There  is  a  basis  in  human  reason  and  experi- 
ence, as  well  as  in  revelation,  for  this  doctrine ; 
and  neither  the  mis-statements  of  the  friends  of 
Christianity,  nor  the  mal-statements  of  its  ene- 
mies, can  invalidate  the  facts  and  reasons  upon 
which  the  doctrine  rests. 

The  statement  that  men  are  by  nature  averse 

(122) 


HUMAN    DEPKAVITY.  123 

to  all  good,  and  as  evil  as  it  is  possible  for  them 
to  be,  is  not  true  to  the  common  sense  of  men, 
nor  in  the  common  use  of  language.  Such  ex- 
pressions may  be  explained  into  accordance  with 
the  Scriptures,  but  it  is  far  better  to  avoid  the 
extreme  expression  to  which  every  denomination, 
from  the  very  nature  of  selfishness,  is  prone  to 
carry  its  own  distinguishing  tenets,  and  present 
the  Christian  doctrines  in  such  phraseology  as 
falls  clearly  within  the  import  of  the  facts  and 
texts  upon  which  they  are  grounded. 

While,  therefore,  there  may  be  some  apology 
for  misapprehension  on  this  subject,  there  can  be 
no  good  apology  for  such  statements  as  that  of 
the  writer  in  the  book  before  me,  viz.,  "The 
popular  religion  is  hostile  to  man;  tells  us  he  is 
an  outcast;  not  a  child  of  God,  but  a  spurious 
issue  of  the  devil." 

The  most  trustworthy  writers  on  this  subject 
always  state  the  question  in  its  connections,  and 
with  the  limitations  which  experience  and  the 
Bible  require.  Dr.  Chalmers,  in  speaking  of 
those  who  are  unregenerated,  says:  "The  prin- 
ciple upon  which  you  may  have  acted  may  be 
respectable  and  honorable  and  amiable.  We 
are  not  disputing  all  this.      We  are  only  saying 


124  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

that  it  is  not  the  love  of  God.  And  should  we 
hear  any  one  of  you  assert  that  I  have  nothing 
to  reproach  myself  with,  and  that  I  give  every 
body  their  own,  and  that  I  possess  a  fair  char- 
acter in  society,  and  have  done  nothing  to  forfeit 
it;  and  that  I  have  my  share  of  generosity  and 
honor,  of  tenderness  and  civility :  our  only  reply 
is,  that  this  may  be  very  true;  you  may  have 
a  very  large  share  of  these  and  of  other  estima- 
ble principles,  but  along  with  the  possession  of 
these  many  things,  you  may  lack  one  thing,  and 
that  one  thing  may  be  the  love  of  God.  An 
enlightened  discern er  of  the  heart  may  look  into 
you  and  say  with  our  Savior,  'I  know  you  that 
ye  have  not  the  love  of  God  in  you,' " 

We  will  give  another  extract  from  a  writer 
generally  accepted  among  evangelical  Christians 
— one  of  the  most  clear-minded  and  pure-hearted 
men  of  his  age.  These  extracts  are  given  at 
length,  in  order  that  we  may  consider  this  sub- 
ject unbiased  by  the  fear  that  the  views  which 
we  shall  present  do  not  apply  to  the  subject  as 
generally  received  by  enlightened  Christians. 

We  do  not,  as  we  have  already  said,  present 
our  views  as  an  exposition  of  tlie  symbols  of 
any  one  denomination ;  some  of  the  creeds  were 


HUMAN    DEPRAVITY.  125 

wrought  out  by  good  men  in  a  darker  age  than 
the  present.  We  write  to  show  that  the  doc- 
trine of  human  depravity,  as  revealed  in  the 
Scriptures  and  expounded  by  men  of  spiritual 
apprehension,  accords  with  reason  and  with  hu- 
man experience. 

Dr.  D wight  says:  "The  human  character  is 
not  depraved  to  the  full  extent  of  the  human 
powers.  It  has  been  said,  neither  unfrequently 
nor  by  men  void  of  understanding,  that  man  is 
as  depraved  a  being  as  his  faculties  will  permit 
him  to  be ;  but  this  has  been  said  without  con- 
sideration and  without  truth.  Neither  Scripture 
nor  experience  warrant  the  assertion.  'Wicked 
men  and  deceivers,'  it  is  declared,  'wax  worse 
and  worse,  deceiving  and  being  deceived.'  Dur- 
ing the  first  half  of  human  life  this  may, 
perhaps,  be  explained  by  the  growth  of  the 
faculties,  but  during  a  considerable  period 
preceding  its  termination  it  can  not  thus  be  ex- 
plained, for  the  faculties  decay  while  the  depravity 
still  increases."  "The  young  man  who  came  to 
Christ  to  know  what  good  thing  he  should  do  to 
inherit  eternal  life,  was  certainly  less  depraved 
than  his  talents  would  have  permitted  him  to  be-. 

"Like   him,   we   see  daily  many  men  who 


126  LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF   THE    AGE. 

neither  are  nor  profess  to  be  Christians,  and  who, 
instead  of  being  wicked  to  a  degree  commen- 
surate with  their  faculties,  go  .through  hfe  in  the 
exercise  of  dispositions  so  sincere,  just,  and 
amiable,  and  in  the  performance  of  actions  so 
upright  and  beneficent,  as  to  secure  a  high  degree 
of  respect  and  affection  from  ourselves,  and 
from  all  with  whom  they  are  connected.  It 
certainly  can  not  be  said  that  such  men  are  as 
sinful  as  many  others  possessed  of  powers  far 
inferior,  much  less  that  they  are  as  sinful  as 
they  can  be.  .Those  who  make  the  assertion 
against  which  I  am  contending,  will  find  them- 
selves, if  they  will  examine,  rarely  believing 
that  their  wives  and  children,  though  not  Chris- 
tians, are  fiends." 

Again,  Dr.  D wight  says ;  "Some  of  the  natural 
human  characteristics  are  amiable.  Such  are 
natural  afi"ection ;  the  simplicity  and  sweetness  o{ 
disposition  in  children,  often  found  also  in  persons 
of  adult  years;  compassion,  generosity,  modesty, 
and  what  is  sometimes  called  natural  consci- 
entiousness, that  is,  a  fixed  and  strong  sense-  of 
the  importance  of  doing  that  which  is  right. 
These  characteristics  appear  to  have  adorned  the 
young  man  whom  I  have  already  mentioned. 


HUMAN    DEPRAVITY.  127 

We  know  that  they  are  amiable,  because  we  are 
informed  that  'Jesus,  beholding  him,  loved  him.' 
I]i  the  same  manner  we,  and  all  others  who  are 
not  abandoned,  love  them  always  and  irresistibly, 
whenever  they  are  presented  to  our  view.  They 
all,  also,  are  required,  and  exist  in  every  Chris- 
tian, enhancing  his  holiness  and  rendering  him 
a  better  man.  Without  them  it  is  not  easy  to 
perceive  how  the  Christian  character  could  exist. 
Accordingly,  Paul  exhibits  those  who  are 
destitute  of  these  attributes  as  being  literally 
.profligate." 

If,  then,  the  doctrine  of  human  depravity,  as 
expounded  by  the  accepted  teachers  of  the  or- 
thodox faith,  does  not  affirm  that  man's  faculties 
are  wholly  depraved ;  if  it  be  a  manifest,  and 
indubitable  fact  that  men  may  possess  by  nature 
many  excellent  and  amiable  qualities  for  which 
we  ought  to  love  them;  what  then  is  the  scrip- 
tural, rational,  and  experimental  import  of  the 
doctrine  of  human  depravity,  and  in  what  sense 
are  all  men  depraved? 

It  is  affirmed  in  the  Scriptures,  and  all  men 
adopt  the  principle  as  a  tenet  of  absolute  relig- 
ion, that  man  shall  love  God  with  all  his  heart, 
and  his  neighbor  as  himself.     Of  the  obligation 


]  28  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF    THE  AGE. 

of  tliis  requirement  tKere  can  be  no  doubt.  God 
is  tlie  supreme  being,  and  the  best  being,  and, 
therefore,  of  riglit  demands  supreme  love.  The 
interests  of  other  men  are  as  vahiable  to  them 
as  our  interests  are  to  us;  hence  they  should  be 
regarded  equally  with  our  own.  This  is  the 
moral  law  of  the  universe.  To  this  all  agree. 
.Now,  the  question  is  not  whether  some  men 
have  not  by  nature  many  good  qualities,  nor 
whether  any  man  is  as  bad  as  he  could  be? 
But  the  question  is,  whether  men  do  by  nature 
love  and  obey  God  ?  whether  they  are  by  nature 
conformed  or  unconformed  to  the  moral  law 
of  God? 

The  question,  when  fairly  stated,  is  a  very 
plain  one;  and  the  man  who  doubts  of  human 
depravity  in  the  light  of  a  true  statement,  can 
have  but  little  apprehension  either  of  God's 
character  or  of  his  own.  If  men  loved  and 
obeyed  the  true  God  by  nature,  they  would  have 
to  make  an  effort  not  to  love  and  obey  him. 
Every  body  knows  that  the  reverse  of  this  is 
true,  and  that  the  effort  is  on  the  other  side  of 
the  question.  But  while  argument  may  not 
make  a  palpable  experience  more  plain  to  Chris- 
tians,   it   may  promote    right    cnviction    with 


HUMAN    DEPRAVITY.  129 

those  wKo  are  not.  Let  us,  then,  look  first  at 
the  testimony  of  universal  consciousness. 

I  need  not  recite  those  passages  from  the  an- 
cient classics  with  which  all  scholars  are  familiar. 
Epictetus,  speaking  of  the  consciousness  of  every 
natural  mind  in  which  the  moral  sense  is  not 
obliterated,  says,  almost  in  the  words  of  Paul, 
or  rather  Paul  says,  almost  in  his  words,  "He 
that  sins  does  not  what  he  would,  but  what  he 
would  not,  that  he  does."  In  accordance  with 
this  speak  all  the  worthy  ancients  who  have 
given  us  their  self-consciousness  on  moral 
subjects. 

Take  again  the  testimony  of  univeral  history. 
It  can  not  be  doubted  that  humanity  has  always 
been  found  by  the  light  of  history  and  revela- 
tion in  a  corrupted  moral  state.  We  mean, 
distinctly,  in  a  state  entirely  destitute  of  supreme 
love  to  God  as  a  holy  sovereign,  and  to  men  as 
brothers.  That  civilization  made  progress  in 
some  old  nations — that  intellectual  light  and  a 
perception  of  moral  truths  were  in  some  minds 
clear  and  strong,  is  granted;  but  the  knowledge 
of  God,  the  disposition  to  love  men  as  brethren, 
and  a  prevalent  regard  for  moral  purity,  is  not 
the  natural  state  of  man.  The  fact  is  striking 
9 


130  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE   AGE. 

as  it  is  indubitable,  that  the  most  enlightened 
nations,  as  they  increase  in  years,  invariably, 
without  the  aid  of  revelation,  become  more  cor- 
rupt. And  as  they  add  years,  they  add  evil  to 
their  national  life.  And  even  now,  in  lands  pro- 
fessing to  receive  the  religion  of  Christ,  and  among 
those  who  recognize  the  obligation  to  love  God 
as  the  common  lather,  and  all  men  as  brethren 
— even  in  Christendom,  notwithstanding  an  as- 
sent to  right  principles,  war  and  lust,  pride  and 
self-seeking,  are  the  rule,  and  obedience  to  tlio 
recognized  moral  law  of  love  is  the  exception. 

Leaving  the  universal  law  of  love  out  of  the 
question,  which  is  the  recognized  standard  of 
duty,  and  to  which  man  would  be  conformed  if 
he,  by  nature,  knew  and  obeyed  the  true  God; 
even  setting  this  aside,  it  is  true  that  men  have 
in  all  ages  been  conscious  of  being  unconformed 
to  their  own  knowledge  of  duty.  This  is  evi- 
denced by  the  fact,  that  the  human  consciousness 
of  sin  in  all  time,  until  Christ's  sacrifice,  has 
been  evinced  by  the  sacrifice  of  victims,  human 
and  bestial,  as  expiatory  or  propitiatory  offerings, 
to  procure  reconciliation  with  God. 

This    testimony    of    universal    consciousness, 

*  Sco  "Pliilosophy  of  Plan  of  Biilvatioii,"  Chap.  I. 


HUMAN   DEPEAVITY.  131 

universal  history,  and  universal  conduct,  can 
not  go  for  nothing.  To  make  a  light  thing  of 
the  deepest  and  most  solmenly-expressed  con- 
victions of  human  nature,  is  to  be  untrue  to 
humanity  as  it  is.  The  human  consciousness 
cries  out  for  reconcihation  with  God.  The  man 
who  answers  that  it  needs  none,  is  as  injurious 
to  the  soul  as  a  physician  would  be  to  the  body, 
who,  in  a  dangerous  malady,  should  give  opiates, 
and  let  the  disease  take  its  course. 

If  the  liberal  writer  of  these  "Discourses  of 
Religion"  believed  his  own  affirmations,  we  see 
not  how  he  could  avoid  admitting  the  total  de- 
pravity of  human  nature  ?  Indeed,  it  is  true 
that  he,  in  statement,  apparently  unconcious 
that  almost  his  whole  book  is  in  contradiction  to 
this,  utters  words  affirming  the  depravity  of  hu- 
manity and  the  necessity  of  Christ's  death. 
He  says,  "The  history  of  society  is  summed  up 
in  a  word — Cain  killed  Abel.  That  of  real 
Christianity  also  in  a  word — Christ  died  for  his 
brothers." 

The  direct  inference  from  this  liberal  theology 
goes  likewise  to  establish  the  opposite  of  what 
it  teaches.  If  man  has  by  intuition,  or  in  some 
other  way,  a  "true  idea  of   God,  which  is  tlie 


132  LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF   THE   AGE. 

same  in  all  men,"  then  it  follows  as  a  fact  corro- 
borated by  all  history,  that  man  must  have 
propensities  so  totally  depraved  that  they  lead 
him  to  reject  the  true  knowledge  of  the  divine, 
and  plunge  into  darkness  and  evil,  notwith- 
standing the  counter  influence  of  the  true  idea 
of  God.  If  this  be  not  an  evidence  of  depravity, 
we  would  humbly  inquire  what  can  be  evidence 
in  the  case  ? 

Perhaps  the  writer  would  refer  us  to  the  con- 
ception which  he  says  man  gets  from  nature, 
and  then  tell  us  that  the  conception  obscures 
the  intuition.  Then  two  things  follow — first, 
that  all  nature  is  depraved  from  which  man  gets 
the  obscuring  conception;  and,  second,  that  God 
has  given  man  a  true  idea  of  himself,  which  is 
not  strong  enough  to  resist  the  depraving  power 
of  depraved  nature. 

But  let  us  turn  from  the  "variations"  found 
in  these  Unitarian  Radicals,  and  look  at  the  ap- 
peal which  may  be  made  to  each  individual's 
consciousness  in  behalf  of  the  doctrine  of  de- 
pravity. 

Men  will  acknowledge  that  they  do  not  live 
up  to  the  amount  of  their  knowledge ;  that  they 
do  not  live  up  to  their  ability;   that  they  do  not 


HUMAN    DEPRAVITY.  133 

live  up  to  their  conscience.  Now,  wliat  is  the 
reason  of  this  ?  Who  will  answer  ?  The  brute 
hves  up  to  the  best  instincts  of  his  nature.  The 
brute  ^onforms  by  nature  to  the  laws  of  his 
highest  life  and  happiness.  Why  is  not  man 
thus  conformed  to  the  moral  law  of  love  ? 
Why  does  he  not  by  nature  live  a  life  like 
Christ?  Let  the  reader  frankly  acknowledge 
that  it  is  because  the  current  of  the  human  will 
runs  in  another  direction.  Hence  it  is  the 
experience  of  every  living  man  who  seeks 
conformity  to  the  will  of  God,  that  he  must 
struggle  against  the  inertia,  and  earthly  and  sel- 
fish propensions  of  his  natural  mind.  And  it  is 
likewise,  as  we  believe,  an  experience,  that 
divine  aid  alone  enables  the  soul  to  rise  above 
the  natural  into  the  spiritual  life. 

We  repeat,  if  there  be  any  thing  plain  in  the 
Scriptures,  it  is  the  struggle,  or  .spiritual  warfare, 
that  is  necessary  to  attain  and  maintain  con- 
formity to  the  will  of  God  as  manifested  in 
Olirist.  If  there  be  any  thing  true  in  Christian 
experience  it  is  this  same  warfare — a  warfare 
which  reaches  a  conscious  and  joyful  triumph 
only  by  faith  in  Christ,  as  a  present  divine  Sa- 
vior.   If  men  by  nature  be  not  out  of  conformity 


134  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF   THE  AGE. 

witli  the  law  of  God,  then  the  whole  tenor  of 
the  New  Testament  and  all  Christian  experience 
are  together  false,  because  the  one  affirms  what 
the  other  realizes.  ^ 

But  it  is  not  possible  to  lead  any  man  who 
has  ever  seriously  endeavored  to  be  like  Christ, 
to  doubt  that  by  nature  his  will  "is  alienated 
from  the  life  of  God."  Liberal  Christians  may 
lead  men  of  no  Christian  purpose  to  doubt,  but 
they  can  do  no  more.  The  man  who  permits 
his  boat  to  float  upon  the  current  of  Lake  Supe- 
rior, will  move  downward,  without  an  effort, 
to  the  more  rapid  current  of  the  Niagara  river. 
He  can  not  be  conscious  of  any  effort,  because 
he  makes  none.  It  requires  no  effort  to  float 
with  the  current.  But  if  a  man  will  save  him- 
self from  going  over  the  falls,  he  must  turn  his 
boat  against  the  stream,  and  his  labors  will  grow 
light,  and  his  hope  and  peace  will  increase,  as  he 
escapes  the  dangerous  current,  and  sees  on  the 
farthermost  verge  of  the  lake  the  light-house 
near  his  home.  So  the  Christian  who  has  strug- 
gled against  the  natural  current  of  the  will,  finds 
peace  as  he  overcomes,  and  rejoices  as  the  light 
grows  brighter,  which  shines  out  from  the  "light- 
house in  the  sky." 


HUMAN    DEPRAHTY.  135 

TLe  teachings  of  the  Scriptures  on  this  subject 
not  only  accord  with  experience,  but  they  con- 
tain a  profound  pliilosophy,  which  will,  by  some 
future  writer,  be  developed  in  a  more  satisfactory 
manner  than  it  is  at  present.  Allow  me  to 
present  an  allusion  to  this  future   philosophy. 

Adam,  the  origin  of  our  transmitted  humanity, 
is  said  to  have  been  a  "living  soul."  Christ, 
the  source  of  our  spiritual  and  eternal  life,  is 
"a  quickening  Spirit."  We  inherit  from  Adam 
an  earthly  nature,  whose  appetites,  motives,  as- 
pirations, are  limited  to  the  earth.  This  is,  in 
the  language  of  the  New  Testament,  "the 
natural  mind,"  "the  old  man,"  "the  flesh." 
The  first  birth  is  natural,  and  gives  to  man  only 
earthly  and  selfish  instincts  and  aspirations. 
Man  by  nature  may  be  an  amiable  and  excellent 
earthly  being,  or  he  may  be  a  morally  deformed 
and  despicable  one;  but  still  he  is  "of  the  earth 
earthy,"  and,  as  Jesus  affirmed,  "the  love  of 
God  is  not  in  him,"  He  is  "alive"  to  earthly 
and  selfish  motives  and  objects;  but  he  is  "dead 
unto  God;"  he  does  not  feel  and  move  in  view 
of  what  God  is,  nor  in  view  of  what  he  has 
commanded.  In  his  mind,  his  own  will,  not 
the  will  of  God,  is  supreme ;  and  he  resists  sub- 


136         LIVING    QUESTIONS   OF   THE    AGE. 

jection  to  the  will  of  God,  as  much  as  an  animal 
fere  naturm,  wild  by  nature,  resists  subjection 
to  the  will  of  man.  The  divine  Teacher  affirmed 
the  foundational  truth  on  tliis  subject  when  he 
said,  "That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh, 
that  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit  is  spirit." 

Christ,  the  second  Adam,  is  a  "life-giving 
Spirit;"  and  the  new  spiritual  life  which  pro- 
ceeds from  him  is  superinduced  upon  an  animal 
or  earthly  nature.  Christians  are  twice  born  ; 
first  by  nature,  again  by  Spirit.  By  the  second 
birth,  the  soul  that  was  spiritually  dead  before, 
begins  to  live  and  move  in  view  of  God's  char- 
acter, will,  and  manifested  benevolence  in  Christ. 
By  the  first  birth  every  man  has  the  mental  and 
fleshy  nature  of  Adam ;  by  the  second  birth 
every  believer  has  in  him  the  spiritual  lineaments 
of  Christ.  This  new  divine  nature  is  developed 
out  of  the  old  earthly  nature,  or  superinduced 
upon  it.  As  the  chrysalis  has  the  lineaments  of 
the  butterfly,  within  it,  while  yet  it  retains  the 
body,  and,  to  some  extent,  the  instincts  of  the 
caterpillar,  so  the  Christian  has  the  spiritual 
lineaments  of  Christ  formed  in  his  soul,  while 
yet  he  retains  the  earthly  nature  of  his  earthly 
progenitor.       In  the  resurrection,    the    spiritual 


HUMAN    DEPKAVITY.  137 

soul,  disentliralled  from  its  Adamic  coiporeiiy, 
will  assimilate  to  itself,  by  divine  power,  a  body 
of  a  spiritual  nature,  adapted  to  the  propensions 
of  its  new  spiritual  life,  "fashioned  like  unto 
Christ's  glorious  body,"  Hence,  the  "image  of 
Christ  formed  in  the  soul"  here,  is  the  only 
"hope  of  glory"  hereafter. 

The  spiritual  and  the  earthly  nature,  the  one 
being  superinduced  upon  the  other,  are  antago- 
nistic the  one  to  the  other.  It  is  reasonable  to 
suppose  that,  as  in  the  lipodeptera,  the  rudiments 
of  the  winged  insect  prevail  against  the  worm 
from  which  it  is  developed,  the  antagonistic  ef- 
forts of  the  two  opposing  instincts  are  felt,  and 
the  one  prevails  over  the  other  with  a  struggle ; 
so,  in  the  case  of  those  who  are  ' '  born  of  the 
Spirit,"  "  the  flesh  lusteth  against  the  Spirit, 
and  the  Spirit  against  the  flesh,  and  these  are 
contrary  the  one  to  the  other." 

When  a  man  is  born  again,  the  two  natures 
are  distinctly  marked  by  the  diverse  aliment 
upon  which  they  live.  The  natural  mind  lives 
on  natural  aliment,  and  seeks  its  highest  good 
on  earth.  The  spiritual  mind  grows  and  de- 
velops itself  by  truth.  The  new  nature  draws 
its  life  from  Christ.      The  conscience,  the   aifeo 


138  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

tions,  and  the  will,  live  and  move  in  view  of 
God  in  Christ.  God  becomes  the  spiritual  Fa- 
ther of  the  spiritual  soul,  and  the  "new-created"- 
is  a  son.  Truth  is  eternal ;  Christ  is  eternal. 
Hence,  the  soul  which  lives  on  this  aliment  has 
eternal  life.  Jesus  said,  "I  am  the  bread  of  life, 
of  which  if  a  man  eat  he  shall  never  die,  but 
shall  have  everlasting  life."  The  natural  man 
"liveth  by  bread  alone,"  but  the  Christian  liveth 
"by  every  word  that  proceedeth  out  of  the 
mouth  of  God." 

In  the  light  of  this  philosophy,  which  is  dis- 
criminatingly true  to  the  Scriptures,  we  may  see 
the  reason  and  the  necessity  of  the  doctrine  of 
the  divine  Spirit.  The  glory  of  the  gospel  is  in 
its  power,  offered  at  this  point,  to  transform  the 
human  soul  from  the  habitudes  of  an  earthly  to 
that  of  a  spiritual  life.  A  nature  cannot  trans- 
form itself.  One  species  can  not  produce  an- 
other. The  instincts  of  the  earthly  nature  can 
not  turn  against  themselves.  The  germ  of  the 
new  nature  must  be  "begotten"  in  order  to  pre- 
vail against  the  old.  When  the  new  nature  is 
begotten,  the  old  nature  becomes  as  a  body  of 
death,  until  the  new  rises  above  it,  and  brings 
it  into  subserviency. 


HUMAN    DEPEAVITY.  139 

The  Scriptures  exhibit  this  subject  distinctly. 
The  apostle,  in  his  letter  to  the  Romans,  says  : 
"There  is,  therefore,  now  no  condemnation  to 
them  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus,  who  walk  not 
after  the  flesli,  but  after  the  Spirit;  for  the  law 
of  the  Spirit  of  Life  in  Christ  Jesus  hath  made 
me  free  from  the  law  of  sin  and  death.     For 
what  the  law  could  not  do  in  that  it  was  weak 
through  the  flesh,  or  because  of  the  earthly  na- 
ture, God  sending  his  own  Son  in  the  likeness  of 
sinful  flesh,  and  for  sin,  as  a  sacrifice  for  sin, 
condemned  sin  in  the  flesh,  that  the  righteousness 
of  the  law  may  be  fulfilled  in  us,  who  walk,  not 
after  the  flesh  but  after  the  Spirit;  i.  e.  not  after 
the  old  nature,   but  the  new.     For  thej  who 
have  only  the  earthly  nature,  'are  earthly,'  do 
interest  themselves    only  in  the  things  of  the 
earth ;  and  they  that  have  the  spiritual  nature 
are  interested  in  the  things  of  the  Spirit.     "For 
to  be  carnally-minded  is  death."  Those  who  are 
governed  only  by  earthly  aTid-  selfish  motives 
and  aims  are  spiritually  dead.  "But  to  be  spirit- 
ually-minded is  life  and  peace.       For  the  carnal 
mind  is  enmity  against  God.     It  is  not  subject 
to  his  law,  neither  indeed  can  be."  So  then,  they 
that  are  in  the  flesh,  or  natural  state,  can  not 
please  God. 


140  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF   THE  AGE. 

"But  if  the  Spirit  of  him  tliat  raised  up  Jesus 
Christ  from  the  dead  dwell  in  you,  he  that  raised 
up  Christ  from  the  dead  shall  also  quicken  your 
mortal  bodies  by  his  Spirit  that  dwelleth  in  you." 

Look  a  moment  at  one  or  two  of  the  points 
in  this  passage. 

The  law  can  give  knowledge  of  duty,  but  it 
can  not  beget  life.  It  can  show  us  the  evil,  but 
it  can  not  beget  the  disposition  to  overcome  the 
evil.  It  is  not  knowledge  that  men  want,  but 
strength  to  do  what  they  know.  The  man  is  a 
fool  who  supposes  that  light  is  love.  The  law 
requires  love,  but  it  can  not  beget  it.  Every 
thing  begets  its  kind.  Love  only  can  beget  love. 
Hence,  Christ  crucified  in  the  humanity  as  a 
sacrifice  for  sin,  is  such  an  exhibition  of  love 
that  it  begets  love  in  believers.  Faith  accom- 
phshes  "what  the  law  could  not  do."  Love  is 
life.  "Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law,"  and 
hence  "the  law  of  God  is  fulfilled  in  us  who 
walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit." 
Men  by  nature  are  morally  "dead  already,"  and 
have  no  "eternal  life"  unless  born  again  by  the 
Spirit  of  Holiness  in  Christ  Jesus. 

In  the  Christian  are  the  rudiments  of  a  new 
species,  a  new  and  higher  type  of  the  rational 


HUMAN    DEPRAv'ITY.  141 

order  of  humanity.  His  new  life  is  by  divine 
interposition,  but  received  in  accordance  with 
his  own  voluntary  powers,  begotten  by  truth 
and  cherished  by  love.  The  spiritual  germ  is 
implanted  and  developed  here  until  it  attains 
the  resurrection  state — i.  e.  overcomes  the  habi- 
tudes of  its  earthly  body;  then,  in  the  resur- 
rection, a  spiritual  body  adapted  to  its  propensions 
is  given  to  it.  "To  every  seed  its  own  adapted 
body."  Christ  is  the  head  and  the  type  of  the 
new  creation:  shall  we  say  of  the  new  species  ? 
The  process  now  developing  in  Christian  minds 
on  the  earth,  will  reach,  in  body  and  spirit,  a 
glorious  consummation  in  the  resurrection  of 
the  just. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

KECONCILIATION,  OR  AT-ONE-MENT. 

The  Christian  doctrine  of  atonement  is  held 
confidingly  by  the  evangelical  churches  ;  but, 
determinedly  rejected  by  skeptical  writers,  as  it 
is  likewise  by  most  of  those  calling  themselves 
Unitarians. 

It  should  be  stated  at  the  outset,  that  the  sub- 
ject of  sacrifice  has  its  essential  relations  with 
the  moral  nature  of  man — the  conscience,  the  af- 
fections, the  will — rather  than  with  the  intellect. 
The  love-power  of  sacrifice  when  appropriated 
by  faith,  its  relations  to  man's  moral  nature,  and 
to  God's  moral  government,  are  too  profound  to 
be  fully  developed  by  mere  logical  elucidation. 
The  sacrifice  of  Christ  is  a  manifestation  of  power 
and  love  transferred  by  faith  to  the  conscious- 
ness of  the  believer.     The  skeptic  can  not  know 


KECONCILIATION,  OR  AT-ONE-MENT.         143 

tliis.  Hence  the  main  evidence  is  absent  in  his 
case.  But  there  are  adaptations  of  the  atone- 
ment to  human  susceptibihty,  there  are  grounds 
of  its  necessity  in  moral  government,  which 
may  be  seen  by  the  reason  ;  and  seeing  these,  a 
reason  that  is  reverent  will  accept  the  aid  of 
faith  which  gives  us  the  substance  of  what  the 
reason  had  given  us  by  distinct  indication. 

We  inquire,  then,  is  there  any  thing  in  the 
nature  of  man  which  is  met  only  by  the  sac- 
rifice of  Christ,  offered  not  for  himself,  but  for 
those  who  will  accept  its  mercy  by  faith  ? 

It  can  not  be  doubted  that  there  is  in  man  a 
consciousness  of  sin,  or  of  something  else,  call  it 
what  you  will,  that  leads  him  to  feel  the  want 
of  a  sacrifice  ;  or  rather  that  leads  him  to  sac- 
rifice as  a  means  of  reconciliation  with  God. 
Since  the  world  began  man  has  had  somethingf 
in  his  soul  that  ha«  led  him  to  offer  sacrifice. 
We  inquire  neither  for  the  reason  of  the 
fact,  nor  for  the  form  of  the  fact,  but  for 
the  fact  itself.  Men  may  call  the  fact 
propitiation,  expiation,  substitution,  by  any  or 
all  these  names,  still  the  thing  sought  by  the 
soul  is  plain:  it  is  peace  with  God,  a  mitiga- 
tion of  the  consciousness  of  sin,    reconcihation 


144  LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF   THE   AGE. 

at-one-ment.  Superstitious  usages  have  been 
connected  with  sacrifice,  and  priestcraft  has 
turned  tlie  offering  of  the  sin-oppressed  soul  to 
a  selfish  account;  but  the  preversion  of  the  fact 
does  not  ignore  the  existence  of  a  sense  of  want 
in  the  soul  which  has  produced  in  all  ages  and 
among  all  nations,  the  various  phenomena  of 
sacrifices. 

The  ultimate  truth  in  the  case,  then  is,  that 
there  is  something  in  the  human  soul  that  leads 
men  to  seek  peace  with  God  by  sacrifice.  The 
form  may  be  varied  never  so  much.  Some  may 
inflict  torture  upon  themselves;  some  part  with 
what  they  deem  most  precious,  even  a  son  or  a 
daughter ;  some  make  a  pilgrimage ;  some  offer 
the  first-fruits  of  grain  or  of  cattle.  Whatever 
the  form,  the  phenomena  are  all  produced  by 
throne  want  of  the  sin-conscious  soul,  a  desire 
of  peace,  or  at-one-ment  with  God. 

The  want  of  atonement  felt  in  the  soul  is  as 
universal  as  the  sense  of  sin.  Man,  therefore, 
as  a  being,  naturally  seeks  reconciliation  by 
sacrifice,  because  his  reason,  as  well  as  his  moral 
sense,  teaches  him  that  sin  alienates  and  sepa- 
rates from  God. 

In  this  connection  notice  an  important  fact,  a 


EECONCILIATION,  OE  AT-ONE-MENT.        145 

fact  which  is  evidence  not  only  of  the  fallen  and 
darkened  state  of  the  human  mind,  but  likewise 
of  the  necessity  of  revelation,  especially  of  the 
revelation  of  the  mercy  of  God  by  sacrifice, 
While  the  sense  of  sin,  which  is  universal,  pro- 
duces in  men  the  sense  of  want  which  demands 
a  propitiation,  yet  to  offer  self,  or  suffering,  or 
any  object  we  can  call  our  own,  produces  selfish- 
ness and  pride  in  the  soul,  instead  of  benevolence 
gratitude,  and  humility.  We  feel  the  want  of 
a  sacrifice,  but  nothing  we  possess  produces  the 
effect  necessary  in  order  to  peace  of  con- 
science and  purity  of  heart.  The  man  who  goes 
upon  a  pilgrimage  to  Mecca,  or  to  any  other 
shrine,  especially  if  he  walked  on  his  knees  a 
pai't  of  the  way,  returns  to  his  home  a  censorious 
and  self-righteous  spirit,  his  self-sacrifice  having 
led  him  away  from  humility,  and  rendered  grat- 
itude impossible.  He  can  not  be  grateful  to 
God  for  a  salvation  which  he  himself  has 
worked  out  for  himself.  So  with  the  devotee 
who  tortures  himself.  So  in  the  case  of  those 
who  give,  as  a  propitiation,  money  or  cattle. 
The  effect  necessarily  connected  with  sacrifice, 
when  that  sacrifice  is  made  by  self  for  self,  is 
the  opposite  of  that  which  the  sacrifice  of  Christ 
10 


146  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF    THE  AGE. 

for  the  sinner  is  adapted  to  produce.  The  one 
produces  self-righteousness  and  self-dependence, 
the  other  gratitude  and  dependence  on  God.'^ 

This  then  is  the  actual  condition  of  man  in 
his  natural  state.  He  has  a  sense  of  sin,  and 
the  accompanying  sense  of  the  necessity  of  sac- 
rifice; but  the  selfish  sacrifices  to  which  his 
natural  want  leads,  produce  evil  and  not  good  in 
the  soul.  Instead  of  rendering  a  man  humble 
and  grateful,  the  sacrifice  prompted  by  the 
natural  want,  and  offered  by  self  for  self,  pro- 
duces pride  and  impiety.  It  has  done  so  since 
the  beginning  of  the  world,  and  would  have  con- 
tinued to  do  so  until  the  end  of  the  world,  if  di- 
vine revelation  and  divine  love  had  not  revealed 
Christ  crucified,  which  rescues  the  soul  from 
selfish  sacrificing.  Skeptics  can  not  deny  these 
facts.  If  they  reject  the  gospel  solution  of  them, 
we  defy  them  to  furnish  any  other  that  does  not 
impugn  either  the  justice  or  the  mercy  of  God  ; 
and  thus  involve  the  difiiculty  in  deeper  darkness. 
"The  Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world,"  to  be  "testified  to  all  in  due  time,"  is 
the  only  solution. 

*  It  is  a  singular  fact  that  some  liberal  writers  make  out,  that  a 
"  sense  of  dependence  "  is  tlie  ultimate  idea  in  religion,  and  yet 
discard  the  doctrine  which  aloae  produces  a  sense  of  dependence. 


EECONCILIATION,  OR  AT-ONE-MENT.         147 

In  wKat  way,  then,  could  the  natural  want  ol 
propitiation  be  met,  and  the  soul  receive  spirit- 
ual good  by  the  sacrifice  ? 

We  have  anticipated  the  answer  to  this  ques- 
tion. But  let  us  look  at  one  or  two  particulars. 
In  the  first  place,  it  is  necessary,  in  order  to  the 
formation  of  a  benevolent  character,  that  the 
motive  of  our  action  be  out  of  self.  What  I  do 
for  another's  good  makes  me  more  benevolent. 
What  I  do  from  selfish  motives  makes  me  more 
selfish.  Now  the  man  who  has  faith  in  Christ's 
love-sacrifice  for  us,  is  redeemed  from  a  selfish 
motive.  He  labors  for  Christ's  sake.  Christ's 
sacrifice  moves  him.  He  is  God-moved,  not 
self-moved.  Christ  becomes  motive,  both  in  the 
heart  and  in  the  will.  Faith  produces  gratitude 
and  good  works,  but  works  can  never  pro- 
duce faith. 

The  sacrifice  of  Christ  then  is  a  necessary 
part  of  the  moral  system  which  includes  man 
as  a  sinner.  Without  it  the  natural  sense  of  sin 
and  dependence  works  injury  to  the  human  soul. 
With  it  the  sense  of  sin  in  believers  is  canceled 
by  a  sense  of  reconciliation;  and  reason  and 
conscience  find  rest  by  trust  in  the  divine  sacri- 
fice.    A  sense  of  dependence,  by  faith,  places 


148         LIVING    QUESTIONS   OF   THE    AGE. 

the  soul  in  its  true  position.  It  depends  not  on 
itself,  but  on  the  love  of  God  manifested  in 
Christ's  sacrifice.  And  every  time  we  pray  in 
his  name,  the  sense  of  dependence  and  gratitude 
is  renewed  in  the  mind. 

The  introductory  dispensation  of  Moses  pro- 
duced, so  far  as  an  initiatory  process  of  types 
and  figures  could  produce,  the  salutary  ideas 
which  are  produced  under  the  Christian  dispen- 
sation by  the  sacrifice  of  Christ. 

The  faith  and  ritual  of  the  Mosaic  institution 
was  such,  that  the  sacrifice  offered  was  not 
deemed  the  property  of  the  individual,  but  as 
belonging  to  .the  Lord,  Exodus,  13:  11-16. 
The  Lord  permitted  the  redemption  by  sacrifice 
of  the  first-born,  which  belonged  to  him  by  the 
most  solemn  covenant.  The  ceremonial  was 
such  that  the  offering  was  to  the  mind  of  the 
Jew,  the  Lord's  sacrifice,  while  yet  it  was  per- 
mitted to  be  offered  in  behalf  of  the  sinner,  for 
a  sin  or  a  peace-offering.  Thus  the  idea  of  own- 
ership in  the  offering  was  destroyed  by  the  plan 
of  the  Mosaic  economy;  hence,  the  concomitant 
idea  of  pride  and  self-righteousness  could  not 
follow  the  offering.  The  fee  of  the  sacrifice  was 
in  Jehovah,  not  in  the  sinner  who  offered  it. 


EECONCILTATION,  OE  AT-ONE-MENl  149 

But  as  a  sense  of  sin  would  again  arise  by 
renewed  transgression  or  omissi(5n  of  known 
duty,  Kence  a  succession  of  sacrifices  was  the 
burden  of  the  old  law.  These  sacrifices,  says 
the  apostle,  "could  not  make  the  comers  there- 
unto perfect."  The  renewed  sense  of  sin  required 
a  renewed  sacrifice.  The  thing  needed  to  meet 
the  want  was  one  sacrifice  that  could  be  pleaded 
perpetually,  which  would  thus  make  the  comers 
perfect,  and  supersede  forever  the  offering  of 
sacrifices  by  penitent  worshipers.  Hence  the 
whole  system  is  fulfilled  in  the  sacrifice  of 
Christ.  He  is  "the  end  of  the  law,  of  sacrifice, 
to  every  one  that  believeth."  "Nor  yet  that  he 
should  oflfer  himself  often,  as  the  high  priest 
entereth  into  the  holy  place  every  year  with  the 
blood  of  others;"  Heh.  9:  25,  "but  now  once 
in  the  end  of  the  dispensation  hath  he  appeared, 
to  put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself." 
Hence,  "the  blood  of  Christ,  who  by  the  eternal 
Spirit  offered  himself  without  spot  unto  God, 
will  purge  your  consciences  from  dead  works  to 
serve  the  living  God." 

It  is  not  necessary  to  inquire,  as  some  have 
done,  whether  in  the  darkness  of  the  age,  the 
divine  Father  adapted  the  sacrifices  which  the 


150  LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF   THE   AGE. 

natural  want  had  produced,  and  which  were 
then  existing,  to  the  end  of  initiating  the  one 
sacrifice  offered  by  the  eternal  Spirit,  which 
would  more  perfectly  purify  the  conscience  and 
heart,  and  produce  obedience  by  a  right  motive. 
It  is  enough  to  know  the  fact  that  the  sacrifice 
of  Christ  does  purify  the  heart,  does  speak  peace 
to  the  conscience,  does  redeem  the  soul  from  sel- 
fish or  dead  works,  and  does  produce  works  of 
love  in  those  who  are  servants  of  the  living 
God. 

There  is  another  aspect  of  the  atonement 
which  is  frequently  brought  to  view  in  the 
Scriptures,  and  wliich  many  consider  the  foun- 
dation of  its  necessity. 

Man  has  an  innate  sense  of  justice  and  right. 
This  is  a  distinguishing  attribute  of  his  moral 
nature.  A  sense  of  responsibility  for  all  moral 
action  of  which  conscience  takes  cognizance  is 
based  upon  it.  A  sense  of  the  evil  and  desert 
of  sin  arises,  in  a  great  measure,  from  the  sense 
of  justice,  which  is  in  conflict  with  sin.  Law  is 
the  development  of  justice,  as  benevolence  is 
the  development  of  love.  Now  love  often  de- 
velops itself  in  acts  which  are  superior  to  law, 
because  they  are  acts  of  self-denial  which  the 


EECONCILIATION,  OR  AT-ONE-MENT.        151 

law,  or  justice  does  not  demand.  But  laws  are 
the  immutable  rules  of  the  creation,  physical 
and  moral;  and  the  best  exercise  of  mercy  is  to 
aid  in  bringing  the  ignorant  and  erring  back  to 
light  and  law.  Justice,  then,  underlies  mercy, 
and  mercy  is  exercised  in  maintainance  of  the 
principles  of  eternal  justice.  Mercy  rises  above 
law  only  to  bring  back  the  transgressor  into  con- 
formity to  law. 

Now,  God  having  given  to  man  this  intuitive 
sense  of  justice,  would  not  violate  it  by  atone- 
ment or  in  any  other  way.  Besides,  God  himself 
possesses  the  attribute  of  justice,  and  his  moral 
government,  even  in  the  administration  of  mercy, 
must  be  based  upon  it. 

The  principle  of  justice  then,  which  develops 
itself  in  law  can  not  be  sacrificed  to  the  power  of 
mercy  which  develops  itself  in  benevolence ; 
nor  can  the  one  produce  the  effects  which  the 
other  does  in  the  human  mind.  Gratitude  can 
not  be  exercised  fully  for  an  action  in  others 
which  the  law  requires  them  to  perform.  We 
must  see  in  the  act  som'ething  of  the  mercy 
which  is  above  law,  producing  acts  of  personal 
self-denial  for  us,  before  gratitude  can  flow 
spontaneously.      But  the  being  who,  while  he 


152  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF    THE  A(5E. 

maintains  the  principles  of  justice,  exercises 
mercy  by  acts  of  self-denial  which  the  law  does 
not  require,  commends  himself  both  to  the  con- 
science and  the  affections  of  moral  beings,  and 
begets  in  all  right  minds  not  only  a  sense  ot 
regard  for  righteousness,  but  at  the  same  time  a 
sense  of  grateful  love  for  him  as  a  benefactor. 

There  are  many  who  seem  to  have  no  right 
sense  of  the  principles  of  justice  and  mercy  as 
they  relate  to  moral  government.  This  state  of 
mind  is  born  of  ignorance  and  sin.  God  is  not 
only  the  Father,  especially  of  those  who  are 
"born  of  the  Spirit,"  but  he  is  the  ruler  and 
judge  of  men.  A  father  may  pardon  a  son  for 
an  offence  against  himself;  but  if  he  is  a  mag- 
istrate, and  that  son  commits  the  same  offence 
against  the  public  law,  he  can  not  pardon  him 
without  forfeiting  his  character  as  a  ruler,  or 
impairing  the  sense  of  justice  in  the  public 
mind. 

If  the  sense  of  justice  is  of  God  and  in  God, 
he  will  maintain  it  in  moral  government.  It  is 
necessary  as  a  basis  for  repentance. 

Pardon  must  be  tendered  in  a  form  that  will 
produce  repentance.  A  proclamation  of  pardon 
on  repentance  would  render  repentance  a  selfish 


RECONCTLTATION,  OE,  AT-ONE-MENT.         153 

act,  or  if  proclaimed  before  the  act,  it  would 
license  sin.  "God  is  love,"  and  therefore  in 
governing  the  world  he  would  exercise  benevo- 
lence; but  benevolence  would  be  exercised  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  maintain  the  sense  of 
justice,  which  is  the  basis  of  moral  government. 
We  desire  not  only  to  elucidate  this  subject, 
but  to  produce  positive  conviction  in  relation  to 
it.  Instead  of  reproducing  the  same  thought, 
allow  me  to  refer  to  the  chapters  on  law  and 
atonement  in  my  work.  "God  Revealed  in 
Creation  and  in  Christ,"  beginning  with  the 
second  book,  and  thence  onward  to  the  198th 

pacre. 

if 

I  commend  most  heartily  the  whole  subject 
of  law  and  atonement  there  set  forth.  Let 
them  be  read  with  the  conviction  in  mind,  that 
in  order  to  maintain  the  principle  of  justice  in 
the  minds  of  intelligent  beings,  God  must  de- 
velop and  maintain  this  principle  in  his  own 
moral  government.  And  in  connection  witli 
this,  that  benevolence,  which  is  above  law,  can 
be  governmentally  exercised  only  to  bring  back 
transgressors  to  obedience  to  law.  As  law  is 
the  only  foundation  of  order  in  the  moral  uni- 
verse, and  of  safety  and  happiness  to  the  creature, 


154  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

benevolence  can  be  exercised  in  no  way  tliat  is 
congruous  with  the  system,  except  by  the  resto- 
ration of  offenders,  pardoned  because  transformed 
from  love  of  sin  to  God. 

This  inviolability  of  moral  law  finds  a  sanction 
in  the  reason  and  conscience  of  men.  The 
moral  law  is  an  expression  of  the  will  of  God. 
]Ie  could  not,  therefore,  permit  sin  without 
permitting  a  violation  of  his  own  will,  wliich 
would  be  absurd.  Besides,  if  God  is  holy  he 
ought  not  to  make  a  law '  which  would  permit 
sin.  No  man  will  say  that  God  ought  to  make 
a  law  that  would  allow  a  single  transgression. 
Now,  if  the  reason  and  conscience  that  God  has 
given  men,  say,  and  sanction  the  saying,  that 
God  ought  not  to  permit  sin,  who  dare  rebel 
against  his  moral  nature,  and  say  that  he  has 
done  so  ?  Reason  affirms,  conscience  sanctions, 
and  the  moral  law  reveals  the  same  penalty  that 
is  written  against  the  transgressor  of  every 
other    law  of   the  universe — The  transgressino 

o  a 

subject  shall  die. 

How,  then,  shall  man  be  restored  and  par- 
doned ?  How  shall  the  evil  propension  be 
eradicated,  and  the  evil  he  had  occasioned  in 
others  be  balanced  and  compensated  for?     Is 


RECONCILIATION,  OR  AT-ONE-MENT.        155 

there  any  method  by  which — without  impairing 
the  sense  of  justice — benevolence,  which  is  above 
law,  may  restore  the  transgressor  to  obedience, 
and  arrest  the  evils  which  his  sin  has  occasioned 
in  other  minds.  This  is  the  problem  of  the 
atonement,  viewed  in  the  light  of  law,  and  of 
the  solidarity  of  mankind. 

You  will  understand  what  I  mean  when  I  ap- 
ply this  philosophical  term  to  the  human  races. 
It  is  as  true  of  the  human  family  as  of  any 
other  family  in  natural  history.  The  phrases  of 
the  New  Testament,  in  regard  to  sin  and  salva- 
tion, assume,  in  many  passages,  the  idea  of  the 
solidarity  of  mankind.  A  true  exposition  of 
the  atonement  can  not  be  given  without  taking; 
this  doctrine  into  account.  "As  in  Adam  al) 
died,  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive,"  First, 
the  natural — then  the  spiritual.  The  latter 
counteracting  the  former  ;  and  God  over  all. 

There  are,  in  the  physical  universe,  compen- 
sations which  are  placed  over  against  each  other ; 
and  thus  the  inequalities  of  the  various  parts  of 
a  system  are  met  and  balanced.  These  compen- 
sations or  adjustments  are  made  by  the  Creator  ; 
and  they  become  at  once  the  evidences  of  his 
wisdom  and  goodness.     Notice  ! 


156  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF   THE    AGE. 

1.  TLe  moral  law,  wMcli  requires  supreme 
love  to  God  and  impartial  love  to  man,  is 
the  rule  of  reason  and  risrhteousness ;  and  beinor 
tlie  will  of  God,  it  is  the  obligatory  law  for  all 
intelligent  and  moral  beings.  From  this  state- 
ment  I  presume  there  will  be  no  dissent. 

2.  Now,  accepting  the  law  as  the  rule  of  life, 
it  is  admitted  that  man  falls  below  its  require- 
ments ;  that,  judged  by  the  law,  he  is  condemned 
as  a  transgressor.  He  is  guilty  in  view  of  his 
own  conscience,  knowledge,  and  ability.  He  is 
likewise  guilty  in  nature,  or  in  character,  not 
having  the  disposition  to  fulfill  his  duties  accor- 
ding to  the  example  of  Christ.  The  penalties 
of  the  law  are  therefore  against  him,  and  he  can 
neither  pardon  himself  nor  beget  that  love  in 
himself  which  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law. 

3.  Now,  is  there  any  compensation  in  the 
moral  universe  for  this  aberration  of  man  from 
the  sphere  of  law?  Is  there  a  recuperative 
principle  in  the  moral  as  there  is  in  the  physical 
system  of  things  ?  Is  there  a  redeeming  power 
adapted  to  the  nature  of  the  case  ?    Let  us  see  ! 

The  thing  required  in  order  to  moral  compen- 
sation is  that  some  being  or  beings  united  in  the 
same  system  with  man,  should  possess  a,  moral 


EECONCILIATION,  OE  AT-ONE-MENT.        157 

worth  rising  above  law  in  the  same  degree  that 
man  falls  below  it,  and  that  this  wortt  should 
complement  want  of  love  by  increase  of  love. 

Now,  we  postulate  that  Jesus  Christ,  by  his 
sacrifice,  meets  this  condition  in  the  equation. 
The  law  can  not  demand  the  sacrifice  of  the  in- 
nocent for  the  guilty.  Its  requirement  can  rise 
no  higher  than  perfect  obedience.  The  death  ot 
Christ,  therefore,  was  above  law ;  and  if  it  tended 
to  honor  the  law  by  restoring  transgressors  to 
obedience,  it  accomplished  on  one  side  an  actual 
balance  against  wdiat  was  deficient  on  the  other 
side. 

The  question,  then,  of  vital  interest  is,  does 
the  super-merit  of  Christ,  which  is  above  law, 
practically  counterwork  the  demerit  of  man, 
which  is  below  law  ?  Now,  we  affirm  that  this 
result  is  actually  and  practically  accomplished 
in  every  one  that  believes  in  the  divine  sacrifice 
of  the  Redeemer  for  his  sin. 

"Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law."  Christ's 
sacrifice  was  a  love-sacrifice,  a  sacrifice  produced 
by  divine  love.  The  law  required  obedience, 
but  could  not  produce  it.  It  required  love,  but 
could  not  beget  love.  The  sacrifice  of  Christ  is 
a  revealment  of  divine  love,  and  hence,  as  every 


158  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF    THE  AGE. 

thing  begets  its  kind,  by  the  love  of  God  mani- 
fest in  Christ,  love  for  God  in  Christ  is  begotten 
in  believers. 

"If  men  love  God,  they  will  keep  his  com- 
mandments. ' '  Hence  the  disposition  to  obedience 
is  restored  in  the  soul  of  every  one  who  believes 
in  Christ;  so  that  the  current  of  death  which 
originated  in  Adam  is  met  and  counteracted  by 
the  current  of  life  which  originated  in  Christ. 
One  was  made  a  "living  soul,"  that  is,  an  earthly 
being,  the  other  is  a  "quickening,"  that  is,  life- 
giving  Spirit. 

Faith  in  Christ  dispones  men  to  love  and 
obey  him.  It  produces  peaceful  obedience  in 
the  soul ;  it  casts  out  sin ;  it  works  by  love,  and 
purifies  the  heart. 

What  then,  is  the  thing  which  constitutes  the 
merit  and  power  of  the  divine  sacrifice?  We 
answer,  its  merit  is  in  its  love,  which  is  above 
law.  Its  personal  suffering  endured  for  otliers. 
Tliis  fact  likewise  constitutes  its  power.  I  can 
not  love  with  the  love  of  gratitude  one  who 
does  no  more  for  me  than  the  law  requires  him 
to  do.  But  when  love  transcends  law,  and  one 
rescues  me  by  a  sacrifice  of  himself,  a  sacrifice 
which  love  pronq:»ted,   but  which  law  did  not 


EECONCILIATTON,  OE  AT-ONE-MENT.         159 

-  require,  then  my  heart,  and  the  heart  of  every 
behever  responds  by  grateful  love  to  the  Ee- 
deemer.  Thus  "faith  works  by  love,"  and  love 
works  by  obedience,  and  affectionate  obedience 
is  restoration  and  salvation. 

The  merit,  then,  is  found  in  the  sacrifice  of 
Christ,  which,  as  an  expression  of  divine  love, 
restores  the  transgressor  and  procures  pardon  by 
fitting  him  for  pardon  in  the  sight  of  the  law.  • 
By  this  merit — not  his  own — the  sinner  can  be 
pardoned,  while  by  its  power  he  is  turned  from 
sin,  and  restored  to  obedience. 

Thus  death  and  life  are  both  recognized  in  the 
divine  government ;  and  Christ  came  in  our  hu- 
manity "to  give  himself  a  ransom  for  many," 
"that  whosoever  believeth  might  not  perish  but 
have  eternal  life." 

And  finally,  the  doctrine  of  atonement,  as 
held  by  experienced  Christians,  meets  the  deepest 
sense  of  want  in  the  soul.  It  produces  a  sense 
of  dependence,  humility,  and  love  to  God,  and 
has  given  hope  and  joy,  in  life  and  in  death,  to 
Christian  hearts  in  all  ages. 

liow  adaptation  is  from  God.  God  can  not 
produce  holiness  of  heart  by  a  falshood.  Truth 
is  known  by  its  effects.      As  God  is  true,  that 


160         LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF   THE    AGE. 

"wliicli  glorifies  God  and  does  good  to  man  at  the 
same  time,  is  truth;  therefore  the  evangelical 
view  of  the  atonement  is  truth. 


CHAPTER  X. 

ON    FUTUEE    PwETRIBUTION. 

Liberal  Christians  frequently  refer  to  the  sub- 
ject of  future  retribution,  but  do  not  often 
announce  their  own  opinions.  There  are  pas- 
sages, however,  in  which  they  speak  distinctly. 
Such  for  instance  as  "the  woes  of  sin  are  its 
antidote.  Suffering  comes  from  wrong-doing, 
as  well-being  from  virtue.  If  there  be  suffering 
in  the  next  world,  it  is,  as  in  this,  but  the  med- 
icine of  the  sickly  soul."  * 

Tliis  is  plain.  Mr.  Parker  adopted  the 
opinions  of  those  who  are  called  Universalists 
on  the  subject  of  future  retribution.  He  is 
wiser  than  those  generally  are  who  think  with 
him.  He  affirms  without  argument.  Others 
argue,  and  in  their  argument  reason  sees  the 
fallacy. 

We  can  but  doubt  the  sincerity  of  men  who 
profess  to  find  their  religion  in  the  Bible,  and 

*  Theodore   Parker's   Discourse,    Page   438. 
11 


162  LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF   THE   AGE. 

yet  tell  us  tliey  believe  in  no  future  punisliment. 
The  Bible  can  not  be  interpreted  to  favor  suck 
views  except  by  subterfuge  and  perversion  on 
tlie  part  of  the  interpreter.  Mr.  Parker,  there- 
fore, seldom  refers  to  the  Bible  on  this  subject. 
There  is  at  least  frankness  in  the  audacity  of 
tlie  skeptic  who  sets  his  own  reason  above  the 
reason  of  the  Bible,  and  rejects  or  modifies  it 
when  it  does  not  accord  with  his  own  concep- 
tions. But  to  assume  that  the  Bible  is  in 
agreement  with  the  doctrine  of  "no  future  punish- 
ment," is  a  subterfuge  that  "perverts  the  right 
ways  of  the  Lord,"  and  indicates  dishonesty  in 
the  interpreter. 

We  shall  give  the  more  attention  to  this 
subject,  because  it  is  one  of  vital  interest  to  all 
persons  who  enjoy  the  light  of  the  gospel.  It 
has  to  do  with  the  motives  which  deter  men 
from  sin.  We  do  not  say  that  Christians  act  in 
view  of  future  retribution.  Love  deters  the 
Christian  from  sin.  For  him  there  is  no  evil 
in  the  future.  But  for  the  unthankful  and  dis- 
obedient— for  those  who  abuse  the  divine  mercy 
and  harden  themselves  in  selfishness,  there  is 
evil  in  the  future ;  and  repentance  with  such  is 
impossible  so  long  as  they  believe  there  is  no 


ON    FUTURE    RETRIBUTION.  163 

future  punishment.  Convince  an  impenitent 
man  that  sin  will  not  exclude  him  from  future 
happiness;  that  all  the  evil  he  will  experience  is 
present  inconvenience  or  compunction  of  con- 
science, and  with  such  convictions,  repentance 
toward  God  and  faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
are  out  of  the  question.  Every  wicked  man  is 
willing  to  take  the  sin  with  its  present  evil;  and 
as  for  the  figment,  that  the  consequences  of  sin 
will  cure  sin,  or  remove  the  cause  of  sinning,  it 
is,  as  we  shall  see  further  on,  contrary  to  both 
reason  and  the  Scriptures. 

An  argument  for  error  is  destroyed  so  soon  as 
its  fallacy  is  made  apparent.  The  Universalist 
view  of  the  future  state,  which  many  liberalists 
hold,  can  be  shown  to  be  erroneous  both  in  reason 
and  Scripture.  We  shall  endeavor  to  make  this 
apparent,  and  to  reach,  by  our  conclusion,  the 
evil  not  only  as  it  is  maintained  by  Univer- 
salists,  but  as  it  prevails  in  a  wider  sense. 

You  will  notice  that  in  this  and  succeeding 
chapters,  and  indeed  in  all  I  have  written  on 
this  subject,  I  use  the  Scripture  phrases,  without 
discussing  the  questions  at  issue  between  denom- 
inations, in  relation  to  what  will  be  the  character 
of    future   punishment.     I  make   no   effort   to 


1  64  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF    THE  AGE. 

determine  the  mode  of  punishment,  Avhether  i1 
he  to  sin  and  suffer  forever,  or  whether  the 
"second  death"  be  the  death  of  the  souh 
Archbishop  Whately  and  others  have  discussed 
those  points.  We  argue  only  the  question  at 
issue  with  Universal  ists  and  those  who,  like 
them,  believe  in  no  future  punishment;  or,  if 
there  be  any,  that  it  is  only  disciplinary.  We 
do  not  wish  to  occupy  space  with  any  other 
issue  than  the  main  one.  The  main  question  is 
not  whether  "God  will  destroy  the  soul  and 
body  of  the  wicked  in  hell  ? "  or  whether  he 
will  permit  them  to  live  sinning  and  suffering 
forever.  The  negative  of  the  position  that  all 
men  will  be  saved,  is,  that  all  men  will  not  be 
saved.  We  believe  this  point  is  plain,  whether 
we  view  it  in  the  lio;ht  of  reason  or  of  revelation. 
The  other  question  concerning  eternal  sin  and 
suffering,  or  the  destruction  of  those  unfitted  for 
heaven,  admits  of  discussion,  and  whichever  way 
it  may  be  settled  by  any  one,  the  vital  doctrines 
of  the  Scripture  remain  intact.  In  either  case, 
the  finally  impenitent  never  enter  the  kingdom 
of  the  blessed. 

In  all  discussions  relating  to  this  subject  I  use 
Scriptural   phrases.       These    prove    that   those 


ON    FUTUEE    RETRIBUTION.  165 

wlio  die  unreg-enerated  will  "never  see  life." 
Whether  they  will  be  annihilated  after  the  judg- 
ment, or  sin  and  suffer  forever,  we  leave  for 
scholars  and  sincere  inquirers  to  determine. 

We  are  aware  that  the  intensity  and  eternity 
of  future  misery  have  sometimes  been  urged  with 
a  spirit  which  indicated  any  thing  else  in  the 
polemic  beside  a  sense  of  the  merciful  character 
of  God.  Advantage  has  been  taken  of  this  to 
create  prejudice  against  evangelical  piety,  and  to 
destroy  in  the  minds  of  those  who  disobey  the 
gospel  the  salutary  impression  that  without  re- 
pentance, they  will  be  "reserved  unto  the  day 
of  judgment  to  be  punished." 

Let  us  leave,  then,  whatever  may  be  doubtful 
or  difficult  concerning  the  mere  form  of  the  doc- 
trine of  future  punishment,  and  consider  the 
main  proposition,  that  neither  Scripture  nor  rea- 
son teach  the  future  salvation  of  those  who  die 
impenitent;  but  that  they  will  "perish"  in  the 
"second death,"  whatever  that  second  death  may 
be. 

Notice,  fil"st,  the  insincerity  of  any  effort 
which  seeks  to  derive  the  doctrine  of  no  future 
punishment  from  the  Scriptures.  By  skillful 
perversion,  Universalism  might  be  tortured  out 


166 


LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 


of  Bunyan,  or  Baxter,  or  Edwards,  much  more 
readily  than  it  can  be  out  of  the  Bible.  By  the 
same  artifice  universal  damnation  may  be  proved, 
the  one  as  readily  as  the  other.     See  this  in  the 


following  tables — 

Universal  salvation  proved  by  per- 
verting the  Scrijjtures. 

1st.  John,  1:  9.  God  is  faith- 
ful and  just  to  forgive  us  our 
sins:  and  to  cleanse  us  from  aU 
unrighteousness. 

Lam.  3:  3L  For  the  Lord 
will  not  cast  off  forever. 


All  will  be  saved,  because  the 
Scriptures  say,  Mai.,  2:  10. 
"Have  we  not  all  one  father  ? 
Hath  not  one    God  created  us  ? 


The  world  will  be  saved,  be- 
cause tlie  Bible  sa3's,  Christ 
gives  eternal  life  to  as  many  as 
the  Father  hath  given  him;  and 
m  anotlier  place  it  says,  the  Fa- 
ther hath  put  all  things  into  his 
bands,  so  that  the  proof  is  clear 
that  all  will  be  saved  in  Christ. 

All  men  will  be  saved,  be- 
cause the  Bible  teaches  that 
Christ  will  l-econcile  all  things 
unto  Himself— Col.  1 :  20,  and 
says  in  another   place  that  we 


Universal  damnation  proved  by 
perverting  the  Scriptures. 

Joshua,  B4:  19.  He  is  a  holy 
God,  He  is  a  jealous  God,  He 
will  not  forgive  your  transgres- 
sions nor  your  sins. 

1st  Chron.  28:  9.  If  thou 
seek  Him,  He  will  be  found  of 
thee  ;  but  if  thou  forsake  Hiin, 
He  will  cast  thee  off  forever. 

All  will  be  damned,  because 
the  Scriptures  say — Isaiah,  27: 
11:  He  that  made  them  will  not 
have  mercy  on  them  ;  and  He 
tliat  formed  them  will  show 
thoni  no  favor. 

The  world  will  be  damned, 
because  the  Bible  says — They 
who  have  not  the  spirit  of 
Christ  are  none  of  His  ;  and  in 
another  place  it  says  positively, 
the  world  can  not  receive  the 
spirit  of  Christ — therefore  it  fol- 
lows that  the  whole  world  must 
inevitably  be  damned. 

All  men  will  be  damned,  be- 
cause the  Bible  teaches,  Jude  15 
that  the  Lord  cometh  witli  ten 
thousand  of  His  saints  to  exe- 
cute judgment  upon  all  ;  and  if 


ON    FUTURE    RETRIBUTION.  167 

"  sec  not  now  all  tliiup;a  recon-  we  do  not  see  judgment  exeen- 
ciled,"  implying  that  all  will  be  ted  upon  all  now,  yet  the  pass- 
reconciled  hereafter.  Here  is  age  says,  the  Lord  comotli,  or 
universal  reconciliation  and  sal-  will  come,  to  execute  judgment 
vation  plainly  proved.  on  all  hereafter. 

Again,  the  words  "forever,"  "everlasting," 
"forever  and  ever,"  occur  frequently  in  the 
Scriptures,  sometimes  in  connection  with  tempo- 
ral, sometimes  with  spiritual  subjects.  An 
attempt  has  always  been  made  by  those  wlio 
hold  the  views  of  Drs.  Rider,  Chapin,  and  oth- 
ers, to  strip  these  words  of  their  usual  import, 
which  is  that  of  endless  duration.  Sometimes, 
as  all  know,  they  are  applied  to  temporal  things, 
when  the  common  sense  of  the  reader,  as  in  all 
other  similar  cases,  will  limit  them  by  the  nature 
of  the  subject.  "  The  everlasting  hills  "  will 
stand  while  time  lasts;  God  and  the  soul  live 
when  time  dies.  When  these  words  are  limited 
in  signification,  the  limitation  grows  out  of  the 
nature  of  the  subject.  To  this  all  agree;  and 
this  is  all  that  is  necessary  to  show  the  futility 
of  the  effort  to  destroy  their  import  in  connec- 
tion with  the  future  destiny  of  the  wicked. 

THE  WOED"EVERLASTINCi"APPLIED  TO  EXPRESS  THE  DURATION  OP  THE 

Happiness  of  the  liigliteous.  Misery  of  the  wicked. 

Matth.  19:  29.      Those   that  2  Thess.  1:  8,9.      The   Lord 

leave  all  to   follow  Christ,  shall  Jesus    shall  be   revealed  from 

"receive   an    hundred-fold,  and  heaven,   in  flaming  fire,  taking 

shall  inherit  everlasting  life.  vengeance  on    them  that   know 


168 


LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF   THE   AGE. 


Luke,  18:  30.  They  "shall 
receive  manifold  more  in  this 
present  time,  and  in  the  world 
to  come,  life  everlasting. 

Romans,  6:  22.  But  now  be- 
ing made  free  from  sin,  and  be- 
come servants  of  God,  ye  have 
your  fruit  unto  holiness,  and  the 
end,  everlasting  life. 


Dan.  12:  2.  Many  of  them 
which  sleep  in  the  dust  of  the 
earth  shall  awake,  some  to  ever- 
lasting life,  and  some  to  shame 
and  everlasting  contempt. 

Matth.  25:  46.  These  shall 
go  away  into  everlasting  punish- 
ment, but  the  righteous  into  life 
everlasting. 

TUE    P UKASE 


not  God,  and  obey  not  the  gos- 
pel of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
who  shall  be  ptniishod  with  ev- 
erlasting destruction  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord  and  tho 
glory  of  His  power. 

Matth.  25:  41.  Depart  from 
me,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting 
iire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and 
his  angels. 

Matth.  18:  8.  If  thy  hand 
or  thy  foot  offend  thee,  cut  them 
off  and  cast  them  from  thee  ;  it 
is  better  for  thee  to  enter  into 
life  halt  or  maimed,  rather  than 
having  two  hands  or  two  feet 
to  be  cast  into    everlasting  fire. 

Dan.  12:  2.  Many  of  them 
which  sleep  in  the  dust  of  tho 
earth  shall  awake,  some  to  ever- 
lasting life,  and  some  to  shame 
and  everlasting  contempt. 

Matth.  25:  46.  These  shall 
go  away  into  everlasting  punisli- 
ment,  but  the  righteous  into  life 
everlasting. 

FOREVER  AND  EVER  "  AS  APPLIED  TO  EXPRESS 
THE  DURATION  OF  THE 


Happiness  of  the  Righteous. 
Dan.  12:  3.      They  that  turn 
many    to    righteousness    shall 
shine  as  stars  forever  and  ever. 

Rev,  22:  5.  The  Lord  God 
giveth  them  light,  and  they  shall 
reign  forever  and  ever. 


Misery  of  the    Wicked. 

Rev.  14:  11.  Tho  smoke  of 
their  torment  ascendeth  up  for- 
ever and  ever,  and  they  have  no 
rest  day  nor  night. 

Rev.  20:  10.  The  devil,  the 
beast,  and  the  false  prophet  shall 
be  tormented  day  and  night  for- 
ever and  ever 


ON    FUTURE    EETRIBUTION.  169 

Mark,  now,  we  do  not  argue  from  these  ta- 
bles that  either  the  existence  of  punishment  or 
of  happiness  is  eternal.  This  evangeUcal  chris- 
tians mostly,  think  as  clear  as  language  can 
reveal  it;  but  this  is  not  our  argument.  Our 
proposition  is,  that  tlie  destruction  of  the  wicked 
will  be  as  enduring  as  the  happiness  of  the 
righteous,  because  both  are  supported  by  pre- 
cisely the  same  proof.  If  liberal  christians 
affirm  that  these  words  never  mean  eternal  dura- 
tion, then  they  get  rid  of  everlasting  punish- 
ment ;  but  they  likewise  get  rid  of  the  everlast- 
ing God,  and  of  the  everlasting  life  of  the 
righteous. 

If  they  say  that  they  sometimes  mean  eternal 
duration,  and  sometimes  limited  duration — that 
the  duration  is  to  be  inferred  from  the  nature  of 
the  subject  to  which  they  are  applied;  then  tho 
subject  to  which  they  are  applied  is  the  same  in 
both  cases,  man,  or  the  soul  of  man,  or  the  body 
of  man — whatever  they  may  choose  to  call  the 
subject,  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  it  is  the  same 
in  both  cases. 

If  they  reject  both  of  these,  and  argue  that 
the  words  "everlasting,"  and  "eternal,"  and 
"forever,"  do  not  apply  to  the  soul,  but  to  the 


170  LIVING   QUESTIONS   OF   THE    AGE. 

punishment  or  misery  of  the  soul  or  body: 
then,  on  the  other  hand,  the  words  do  not  apply 
to  the  soul  of  the  righteous,  but  to  the  happiness 
or  joy  of  the  soul  or  body ;  and  if  misery  is  not 
eternal  in  its  nature,  then  joy  or  happiness  is  not 
eternal  in  its  nature. 

Now,  whatever  these  words  mean  in  one  case, 
they  mean  the  same  in  the  other.  One  thing, 
therefore,  is  manifest,  namely,  that  the  "death" 
of  the  wicked  will  endure  as  long  as  the  "life" 
of  the  righteous.  This  truth  is  as  obvious  as  it 
is  in  the  proposition  that  six  and  half  a  dozen 
are  equal.  If  the  rule  be  shortened  or  length- 
ened, it  must  be  applied  to  both  sides  of  the 
question. 

If  the  Liberalist  can  succeed  in  proving  that 
the  death  of  the  wicked  will  end;  he  has  at  the 
same  time  proved  that  the  life  of  the  righteous 
will  end;  because  precisely  the  same  words  and 
phrases  used  to  express  the  one  are  used  to  ex- 
press the  other.  Thus  the  dilemma  is  perfect, 
and  one  from  which  there  is  no  possible  escape — 
that  so  fast  and  so  far  as  the  liberalist  is  able  to 
destroy,  in  the  minds  of  the  wicked,  tlie  fear  of 
everlasting  punishment,  he  destroys  at  the  same 
time,  in  the  minds  of  all  that  believe  him,  the 


ON    FUTUKE    EETRIBUTION.  171 

Kope  of  everlasting  happiness ;  because  the  proof 
which  sustains  the  one  is  the  same  that  sustains 
the  other;  so  that  if  one  fails,  both  fail — if  one 
stands,  both  stand — and  the  duration  of  the  one 
must  remain  the  same  as  the  duration  of  the  oth- 
er. Thus,  like  blind  Samson  in  the  temple  of 
the  uncircumcised  Philistines,  if  Universalists 
could  succeed  in  subverting  the  pillars  of  the 
temple  of  truth,  the  wreck  would  fall  upon  the 
heads  of  their  audience. 

There  are  but  two  ways  by  which  it  is  possi- 
ble to  express  truth  in  language.  The  same  truth 
may  be  asserted  affirmatively  and  negatively, 
and  when  a  proposition  is  proved  affirmatively 
and  negatively,  it  is  not  possible  to  make  it 
either  stronger  or  plainer. 

Now,  the  "everlasting  punishment"  of  the 
impenitent  is  not  only,  as  proved  above,  repeat- 
edly affirmed  in  the  word  of  God,  but  it  is  like- 
wise asserted  in  a  negative  form,  a  form  by  which 
the  existence  of  God  and  the  happiness  of  the 
righteous  are  also  expressed.  In  relation  to  God 
itiswni,ten,  "  Thy  dominion  shall  not  pass  away." 
In  relation  to  the  righteous,  they  shall  receive 
"a  cro;vn  of  glory  that  fadeth  not  away."  In 
relation  to  the  wicked,  consider  the  following; 


172         LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF   THE    AGE. 

"He  that  believptli  not  tlie  Son  shall  not  see 
life,  but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him." 

The  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost  "shall 
not  be  forgiven  unto  men,  neither  in  this  world, 
neither  in  the  world  to  come." 

"In  hell  he  lifted  up  his  eyes,  being  in  tor- 
ment." "Between  us  and  you  there  is  a  grea.t 
gulf  fixed,  so  that  those  who  would  pass  from 
hence  to  you  can  not,  neither  can  they  pass  to 
us  who  would  come  from  thence." 

"Their  worm  dieth  not,  and  their  fire  is  not 
quenched."  ^ 

"Without  holiness  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord." 

"For  if  ye  believe  not  that  I  am  he  ye  shall 
die  in  your  sins." 

The  truth  in  relation  to  this  topic  is,  that  the 
same  words  which  are  applied  in  the  Bible  to 
teach  the  eternity  of  God  and  the  eternity  of 
happiness,  are  applied  to  teach  the  eternity  of 
that  "destruction"  which  shall  come  upon  the 
wicked.  They  are  the  strongest  words  and 
phrases  which  can  be  used  in  any  language ;  and 
all  competent  interpreters  agree  that  their  first 
import  is  eternal.  And  in  addition  to  this,  the 
same  truth  is  taught  not  only  affirmatively  but 
negatively;  so  that  the  everlasting  punishment 


ON    FUTURE    RETRIBUTION.  173 

of  the  wicked  is  proved  in  the  strongest  way, 
and  in  all  the  ways  that  human  language  can 
prove  any  truth. 

Universalists  adopt  a  peculiar  method  of  in- 
terpretation in  order  to  escape  the  force  of  the 
figurative  lans-uao-e  used  in  the  New  Testament. 
Because  the  figures  which  relate  to  future  punish- 
ment had  a  local  and  temporal  origin,  they  infer 
that  they  have  only  a  local  and  temporal  import. 
The  word  translated  hell  they  find  originally  re- 
ferred to  the  valley  of  the  sons  of  Hinnom,near 
Jerusalem ;  hence  they  confine  the  figure  to  its 
fact,  and  thus  destroy  the  end  for  which  figures 
were  made.  Dr.  Clarke  has  not  told  us  whether 
lie  adopts  the  reasoning  of  those  who  believe 
with  him  in  this  matter,  but  as  he  adopts  their 
conclusions,  it  is  fair  to  infer  he  adopts  their  rea- 
sons. Now,  if  the  force  of  figures  is  to  be  de- 
stroyed on  one  side  of  the  argument,  it  should 
be  on  the  other ;  then,  supposing  this  reasoning 
to  be  true,  there  is  neither  a  heaven  nor  a  hell 
The  word  heaven  is  derived  from  a  word  which 
in  its  original  import  signified  the  atmosphere  or 
the  firmament ;  and  the  import  of  the  word  par- 
adise is  a  garden.  In  both  cases  the  words 
which  signify  heaven  and  hell   are  educed  from 


174  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

things  temporal  and  local  in  their  nature.  If 
one  must  be  divested  of  its  meanincj,  which  sig- 
nifies  a  state  of  future  punishment,  then  the 
other  must  be  divested  of  its  import,  which  sig- 
nifies a  state  of  future  happiness.  We  should 
then,  according  to  this  method  of  interpretation, 
have  nei£lier  a  hell  nor  a  heaven. 

This  interpretation  strikes  at  the  foundation 
of  revelation.  It  would  be  impossible,  if  such 
perversions  were  permitted,  for  any  revelation 
ever  to  be  made  to  man.  Man  can  learn  the 
unknown  only  by  figures  and  parables  drawn 
from  the  known : 

"  For  what  of  God  above  or  man  below  ? 

What  can   we  reason  but  from  what  we  know  ?" 

"No  terms  are  used  in  the  Bible  to  teach  us  the 
existence  of  a  future  world,  or  the  condition  of 
the  soul  in,  that  world,  which  are  not  derived  in 
some  way  from  things  that  pertain  to  the  present 
Btate  of  existence.  The  Saviour  always  spake 
in  parables  and  figures,  Matt.  13:  34,  because 
He  had  to  illustrate  the  unknown  by  what  was 
known  to  His  hearers.  The  individual,  therefore, 
who  endeavors  to  destroy  in  the  minds  of  his 
hearers  the  application  of  these  figures  to  another 
life,  destroys,  so  far  as  he  succeeds,  the  very  ef- 
fect which  Christ  designed  to  accomplish  by  using 


ON    FUTURE    EETEIBUTION".  175 

them.  This  method  of  interpretation  proves 
there  is  no  hell,  but  it  proves,  likewise,  that  there 
is  no  devil,  no  angel,  no  heaven,  no  God ! 

The  general  tenor  of  the  New  Testament — 
the  general  acceptation  of  the  words  and  phrases 
used  by  Christ  and  His  apostles,  as  well  as  the 
effects  produced  by  their  ministry,  render  it  cer- 
tain that  they  taught  men  that  eternal  life 
depended  on  reconciliation  to  God  as  He  is 
manifested  in  Jesus  Christ.  Notice  the  evidence 
of  this  in  the  following  passages. 

The  points  of  these  passages  can  not  be  mis- 
understood. "Fear  not  them  which  kill  the 
body,  but  are  not  able  to  kill  the  soul,  but  rather 
fear  him  which  is  able  to  destroy  both  soul  and 
body  in  hell." 

John,  5;  25—29.  "Marvel  not  at  this,  for 
the  hour  is  coming  in  which  all  that  are  in  their 
graves  shall  hear  His  voice ;  and  shall  come  forth 
they  that  have  done  good  unto  the  resurrection 
of  life;  and  they  that  have  done  evil  unto  the 
resurrection  of  damnation." 

The  judgment  is,  by  the  sacred  writers,  put 
in  order  after  death,  and  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead. 

Heb.  6:  2.     "The  doctrine  of  baptisms,  and 


176  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF    THE  AGE. 

of  the  laying  on  of  hands,  and  of  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  dead,  and  of  eternal  judgment." 

Heb.  9:  27.  "And  as  it  is  appointed  unto 
men  once  to  die,  but  after  this  the  judgment ;  so 
Christ  was  once  offered,  or  died  once,  and  unto 
them  which  look  for  Him,  shall  He  appear  the 
second  time,  without  sin  unto  salvation." 

2  Tim.  4:  7,  8.  "I  have  fought  a  good  fight, 
I  have  finished  my  course,  I  have  kept  the  faith ; 
lienceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of 
righteousness,  which  the  Lord,  the  righteous 
judge,  will  give  me  at  that  day;  and  not  to  me 
only,  but  unto  all  them  also  that  love  His  ap- 
pearing." Was  this  righteous  judgment  when 
Paul  would  be  crowned  with  "all  that  loved 
Christ's  appearing,"  or  "all  them  that  looked  for 
Him"  to  be  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem? 
Or  was  it  then  taking  place?  Either  idea  is  an 
absurdity. 

2  Tim.  4:  1.  "I  charge  thee,  therefore,  bo- 
fore  God  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  sliall 
judge  the  quick,  [living]  and  the  dead,  at  His 
appearing  and  His  kingdom." 

2  Pet.  2:  7.  "But  the  heavens  and  the 
earth  which  are  now,  by  the  same  word  are  kept 
in  store,  reserved  unto  fire,  against  the  day  of 
judgment  and  perdition  of  ungodly  men." 


ON    FUTURE   RETRIBUTION.  177 

By  looking  at  the  preceding  verses  it  will  be 
seen  that  Peter  is  speaking  of  the  physical  earth, 
affirming  its  destruction  or  dissolution  once  by 
water,  and  its  final  change  or  dissolution  by 
fire;  at  which  time  will  be  the  day  of  judgment 
and  the  "perdition  of  ungodly  men."  Observe, 
he  says  the  present  earth  is  "kept  in  store,  re- 
served unto  fire  against  the  day  of  judgment  and 
perdition  of  ungodly  men."  How  could  lan- 
guage make  the  truth  plainer,  that  the  day  of 
judgment  and  perdition  of  ungodly  men  will  be 
at  the  time  when  this  earth  shall  be  changed  by 
fire? 

2  Pet.  2 :  4,  9,  "The  Lord  knoweth  how  to 
deliver  the  godly  out  of  temptation,  and  to  re- 
serve the  unjust  unto  the  day  of  judgment,  to  be 
punished." 

Mark,  the  unjust  are  punished  as  they  go 
along,  and  reserved  besides  unto,  not  a  day,  nor 
this  day,  nor  all  days,  but  the  day  of  judgment, 
to  be  punished. 

Matt.  12:  32.  "Whosoever  speaketh  a 
word  against  the  Son  of  man,  it  shall  be  forgiven 
him.  But  whosoever  speaketh  against  the  Ho- 
ly Ghost,  it  shall  not  be  forgiven  him,  neither 
in  this  world  nor  in  the  world  to  come." 
12 


178  LIVING  QUESTIONS  OF    THE  AGE. 

John,  3:  16.  "For  God  so  loved  the  world 
that  He  gave  His  only-begotten  Son,  that  who- 
soever believeth  in  Hina  should  not  perish,  but 
have  everlasting  life."  If  this  does  not  imply- 
that  whosoever  does  not  believe  in  Him  shall 
perish  and  not  have  everlasting  life,  then  there 
is  no  meaning  in  language. 

John,  6:  54.  "  Whosoever  eateth  my  flesh 
and  drinketh  my  blood  hath  eternal  life,  and  I 
will  raise  him  up  at  the  last  day."  What  does 
this  imply,  unless  Christ  deceived  His  disciples? 

Acts,  24:  25.  "And  as  Paul  reasoned  of 
righteousness,  temperance,  and  judgment  to  come 
Felix  trembled."  Was  it  a  judgment  that  had 
already  come,  or  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem, 
that  had  made  a  Roman  governor  tremble? 

1  Peter,  4:  18.  "And  if  the  righteous  scarce- 
ly be  saved,  where  shall  the  ungodly  and  the  sin- 
ner appear?"  Easily  answered,  says  this  doctrine. 
They  will  appear  in  heaven,  with  the  righteous 
who  are  scarcely  saved. 

Matt:  26,  24.  "It  had  been  good  for  that 
man  if  he  had  not  been  born."  How  could  this 
be,  if  Judas  went  to  heaven  at  death?  If  the 
doctrine  of  Universalist  preachers  be  true,  Judae 
got  to  heaven  before  Jesus. 


ON    FUTURE    RETRIBUTION,  179 

"  Ho  with  a  cord  outwent  his  Lord, 
And  got  to  heaven  first." 

Luke,  10:  42.  "But  one  thing  is  needful, 
and  Mary  hath  chosen  that  good  part  that  shall 
never  be  taken  away  from  her."  Will  those 
who  do  not  choose  it  have  the  good  part  and  the 
one  thing  needful,  which  shall  never  be  taken 
away  from  them? 

James,  1:  15.  "Then  when  lust  hath  con- 
ceived, it  bringeth  forth  sin:  and  sin,  when  it  ia 
finished,  bringeth  forth  death.  The  liberalist 
says,  sin  works  its  own  cure,  that  when  sin  is 
finished  it  brings  forth  life.     Which  is  right? 

John,  8:  51.  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 
you,  (mark  it,)  if  a  man  keep  my  sayings  he 
shall  never  see  death."  Does  this  mean  the 
first  or  the  second  death — death  of  the  body,  or 
of  the  soul? 

It  is  not  doubted  by  any  well-informed  person 
that  Christ  and  His  apostles  used  the  words  and 
phrases  which  those  who  heard  them — those  to 
whom  they  wrote — would  understand  as  teach- 
ing the  future  punishment  of  the  wicked.  They 
either  taught  what  they  believed  on  this  subject, 
or  they  willfully  deceived  the  people.  They 
not  only  used  the  words  which  the  Jews  used  to 
designate  future  punishment,  but  they  were  even 


180  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

careful  that  the  Gentiles  should  not  mistake  their 
meaning.  Hence  Paul  speaks  of  "blackness  of 
darkness,"  and  Peter  uses  the  word  "Tartarus" 
to  convey  the  same  idea. 

The  whole  form  and  pressure  of  the  apostolic 
teaching  represent  themselves  and  those  who 
lieard  them  as  acting  under  a  deep  sense  of  re- 
sponsibility in  regard  to  the  future.  "We  must 
all  stand  before  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ." 
"Knowing  the  terrors  of  the  Lord,  we  persuade 
men."  They  "warned  every  man  night  and 
day  with  tears." 

Some  who  heard  them  "trembled;"  others 
cried  out  "Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do?" 
And  believers  took  up  their  cross  daily  and  fol- 
lowed Christ — all  of  them  to  persecution,  and 
many  of  them  to  the  flames.  Does  liberal 
preaching  have  this  effect? 

Now,  I  do  not  know  that  a  vindication  of  the 
Scriptures  is  necessary,  yet  there  may  be  those 
that  it  may  save  from  a  leap  into  the  darkness 
of  skepticism;  and  we  offer  this  vindication  of 
the  Scriptures  as  a  basis  of  the  rational  exposi- 
tion which  will  ensue. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

REFUTATION  OF  COMMON  FALLACIES  ON  THE  SUB- 
JECT OF  FUTUEE   RETEIBUTION. 

We  are  told,  as  noticed  in  a  preceding  chapter 
that  "the  woes  of  sin  ar^butits  antidote.  Suf- 
fering comes  from  wrong-doing,  as  well-being 
from  virtue.  If  there  be  suffering  in  the  next 
world,  it  is,  as  in  this,  but  the  medicine  for  tho 
sickly  soul," 

In  the  above  sentence  the  usual  method 
is  adopted.  Truth  is  adroitly  mingled  with 
error.  The  fallacy  of  disciplinary  punishment, 
as  a  cure  for  sin,  and  the  hope  of  universal  sal- 
vation, is  propagated  in  a  form  of  words  which, 
in  proper  connections,  would  teach  a  general 
truth.  All  good  men  believe  that  "suffering 
comes  from  wrong-doing,  as  well-being  from  vir- 
tue;"   but  it  does  not  therefore  follow  that  the 

181 


182         LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

woes  of  sin  are  its  antidote,  either  in  tins  world 
or  the  next. 

It  is  true,  no  doubt,  that  good  men  are  af- 
flicted for  their  sins  in  this  world;  their  disci- 
pline produces  reform,  and  fits  them  for  heaven. 
But  it  does  not  follow  that  the  woes  of  sin  pro- 
duce the  same  effect  upon  the  impenitent  mind. 
Such  a  result  in  the  case  of  those  who  are  not 
converted  is  impossible,  because  it  is  only  by 
the  exercise  of  faith  that  discipline  from  God 
becomes  a  good  in  the  soul.  In  the  case  of 
those  who  have  faith,  a  Father's  hand  and  a 
Father's  love  are  seen  in  adverse  providences. 
They  receive  them  as^iscipline,  and  are  brought 
by  them  into  a  penitent  and  filial  temper;  and 
thus  temporal  afflictions  are,  as  a  matter  of  ex- 
perience, a  means  of  separating  a  believing 
mind  from  evil.  But  in  the  case  of  those  who 
are  "without  faith  and  without  God  in  the 
world,"  temporal  afflictions  do  not  produce  piety. 
God  does  not  design  to  reform  sinners  by  the 
woes  of  sin.  If  he  does,  he  fails  in  his  object; 
because  some  men  sin,  and  suffer  the  woes  of 
sin  all  their  lives,  and  grow  worse  and  worse 
till  they  die.  If,  therefore,  God  disciplines 
them  in  order  to  reform  them,  the  effort  is  worse 


EEFUTATION  OF  FALLACIES.       183 

tlian  a  failure,  because  instead  of  making  them 
better,  it  makes  them  worse. 

It  is  not  only  a  fact  which  all  but  the  morally- 
blind  can  see,  that  the  discipline  which  is  a 
"savor  of  life  unto  life"  with  some,  is  a  "savor 
of  death  unto  death ' '  with  others :  but  it  is  like- 
wise a  distinctly  revealed  doctrine  of  the  New 
Testament:  "God  knows  how  to  deliver  the 
godly  out  of  temptation,  and  to  reserve  the  un- 
just unto  the  day  of  judgment  to  be  punished." 
The  inspired  writer  says  to  his  fellow-Christians, 
"When  we  are  afflicted  we  are  chastened  of  the 
Lord,  that  we  may  not  be  condemned  with  the 
world."  So  far,  then,  as  this  world  is  concerned, 
it  is  matter  of  experience  and  of  revelation  that 
while  the  woes  of  sin  are  a  moral  discipline  and 
a  moral  benefit  to  one  class,  they  do  not  benefit 
the  other. 

That  wicked  and  worldly  men  often  repent 
when  they  feel  the  consequences  of  their  wrong- 
doing, there  is  no  doubt.  But  selfish  repentance 
"  worketh  death."  Instead  of  making  men  bet- 
ter, it  makes  them  worse.  They  sorrow  because 
they  have  injured  themselves.  Such  repentance 
is  selfish,  and  fits  men  for  hell.  "The  sorrow  of 
the  world  worketh  death."      The  effects  of  sin- 


184         LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF   THE    AGE. 

ning  upon  selfish  minds  make  tliem  worse  instead 
of  better;  and  so  far  as  preachers  lead  unregen- 
erated  men  to  believe  that  the  woes  they  expe- 
rience in  consequence  of  their  sins  will  be  a  cure 
of  sin,  they  aid  to  fit  them  for  the  "second  death." 
These  are  solemn  words,  but  they  are  true. 

Now,  without  dwelling  further  on  the  philo- 
sophical blunder,  which  any  thouglitful  mind 
should  be  ashamed  to  commit,  i.e.  that  an  effect 
will  change  or  cure  its  cause,  let  me  invite  your 
attention  to  another  aspect  in  which  this  doctrine 
perverts  the  right  waiys  of  ihe  Lord.  If  suffer- 
ing be  the  medicine  that  cures  sin,  then  pain 
cures  the  disease.  Suffering  is  the  effect  and 
evidence  of  derangement,  physical  and  moral, 
and  in  itself  tends  to  death,  not  to  life.  It  is 
likewise,  declaratory  of  derangement,  and  ad- 
monishes to  seek  a  remedy. 

Instead  of  sin  being  a  self-destructive,  it  is  a 
self-strengthening  and  self-perpetuating  principle. 
Instead  of  the  consequences  of  a  sinful  act  tend- 
ing to  cure  the  sinful  propension,  it  actually 
strengthens  it.  After  one  sin,  another  is  more 
easily  and  more  readily  committed ;  because  the 
sinful  act  weakens  the  conscience,  confirms  a 
sinful  habit,   and  strengthens  the  propension  to 


EEFUTATION  OF  FALLACIES.       185 

sin  in  the  soul.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  sin  blinds 
the  moral  vision,  and  kills  the  moral  sense. 
The  more  sinful  any  individual  becomes,  the  less 
he  sees  and  the  less  he  feels  of  the  evil  of  sin. 
This  momentous  moral  fact  can  not  be  denied. 
It  is  a  natural  law — the  law  of  divine  judgment, 
and  so  long  as  it  is  true,  the  statement  that  the 
effect  of  sinning  cures  sin  is  a  fallacy  uttered  in 
the  face  of  law,  experience,  and  the  Scriptures. 
The  doctrine  that  conscience  punishes  men 
for  sin  is  an  impeachment  of  the  justice  of  God. 
If  this  were  true,  in  order  that  God  might  be 
just,  the  greatest  sinner  should  be  the  greatest 
sufferer.  But  the  opposite  of  this  is  true.  A 
good  man  will  suffer  more  for  neglecting  his 
prayers,  than  a  bad  one  will  feel  for  the  crime  of 
profaneness.  If  conscience  is  the  measure  of 
God's  justice,  then  the  divine  being  loves  the 
wicked  more  than  He  loves  the  good;  because 
the  more  holy  the  mind,  the  more  potent  is  con- 
science— the  less  holy,  the  less  the  infliction.  If 
"men  are  punished  as  they  go  along,"  and  suffer 
in  this  world  in  proportion  to  their  sin,  then,  as 
we  have  said  before,  Jesus  Christ  was  the  great- 
est  of  sinners,  because  He  was  the  greatest  of 
sufferers. 


186  LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF   THE    AGE, 

The  fact  that  conscience  dies  as  sin  increases, 
but  grows  strong  in  proportion  to  holiness,  shows, 
by  human  experience,  what  is  affirmed  in  the 
Scriptures,  that  the  good  are  punished  in  this 
world,  while  the  evil  are  reserved  unto  the  day 
of  judgment  to  be  punished. 

"But,"  says  our  philosopher,  "  suffering  comes 
from  wrong-doing,  as  well-being  from  virtue." 
Now,  if  this  fact  renders  it  doubtful  whether 
there  be  any  future  punishment,  it  renders  it 
doubtful,  in  the  same  measure,  whether  there  be 
any  future  happiness.  If  sin  punishes  itself, 
virtue  rewards  itself.  And  if  sin  ceases  to  pun- 
ish itself  at  death,  then  virtue  ceases  to  reward 
itself  at  death ;  so  that  there  are  neither  rewards 
nor  punishments — neither  a  hell  nor  a  heaven  in 
the  life  to  come. 

Let  us  look,  in  conclusion,  at  some  facts  which 
are  connected  with  the  subject  of  sin  and  retri- 
bution:— What  are  the  effects  of  sin  in  this  life? 
and,  do,  the  effects  of  sin  continue  in  the  future 
world  ? 

The  answers  to  these  inquiries  are  plain  both 
from  reason  and  the  Scriptures.  Sin  produces 
two  results  hi  the  soul.  It  produces  present 
evil,  while  at  the  same  time  it  fits  the  character 


EEFUTATION    OF    FALLACIES.  187 

for  future  retribution.  Just  as  benevolent  ai^tion 
produces  peace  and  complacency  of  soul  in  the 
present  life,  and  forms  the  soul  into  a  benevo- 
lent character,  which  fits  it  for  heaven.  Every- 
one knows,  or  ought  to  know,  that  while  sin  pro- 
duces more  or  less  unrest  when  the  act  is  done ; 
it  likewise,  by  the  same  act,  fixes  character. 
Like  a  stream  which,  running  constantly  over  a 
rock,  wears  for  itself  a  channel  from  which  in 
the  end  it  can  not  escape,  so  the  soul,  by  contin- 
ued action  of  a  selfish  or  sensual  nature,  forms  a 
habit  which  fixes  its  mode  of  action  for  the  fu- 
ture. Now,  destiny  depends  upon  character. 
A  benevolent  heart  is  happy  in  its  own  exercises ; 
a  selfish  mind  is  confirming  a  character  which 
destroys  happiness,  or  rather  which  renders  hap- 
piness impossible.  All  men  act  either  from  a 
selfish  motive  or  a  benevolent  one.  Every  sel- 
fish act  confirms  a  selfish  character,  and  the  man 
who  dies  having  confirmed  a  selfish  character  by 
a  selfish  life,  is  fitted  for  hell ;  and  as  death  is 
not  a  change  of  the  soul  but  a  change  of  the 
body,  he  will  experience  evil  forever,  unless  God 
annihilate  him  after  the  judgment. 

Is  it  said  now,  as  a  final  fallacy  that  so  soon 
as  the  soul  is  separated  from  sense,  and  experi- 


188  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF   THE    AGE. 

ences  in  tlie  next  world  the  evil  consequences  of 
sin,  these  evil  consequences  will  lead  to  repent- 
ance. We  answer  that  repentance  in  view  of 
the  experience  of  evil  or  the  fear  of  evil,  is  re- 
pentance toward  self,  not  toward  God.  Tlie 
more  men  repent  from  an  experience  of  evil  con- 
sequences, the  more  they  are  damned.  The 
thief  always  repents  when  the  sheriff  arrests  him. 
The  approach  of  death  forces  many  men  to  sub- 
mit, others  to  repent.  Such  repentance  is  by 
necessity,  or  in  view  of  consequences,  not  in 
view  of  God's  goodness  and  of  the  evil  of  sin. 
Some  weak  people  talk  of  repentance  on  the 
gallows.  Dying  sinners  and  murderers  repent, 
but  it  is  a  repentance  forced  upon  them  in  view 
of  the  termination  of  their  lives.  In  this  world 
"repentance  toward  God "  works  by  reformation ; 
and  faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  works  by  love. 
In  the  world  of  doom,  or  when  moral  probation 
is  ended,  repentance  comes  by  necessity  and  works 
by  remorse;  and  faith  by  trembling.  "The 
devils  believe  in  one  God  and  tremble." 

Character  is  the  only  hope  of  heaven.  Char- 
acter that  begins  with  "repentance  unto  lite," 
and  is  formed  by  benevolent  aspiration  and  ac- 
tion— character  which  is  conformed  to  the  divine 


REFUTATION  OF  FALLACIES.      189 

law,  and  governed  by  benevolent  motive — which 
motive  is  begotten  only  by  faith  in  God,  as  man- 
ifested in  Christ  Jesus. 

The  last  thought  in  the  foregoing  paragraph 
brings  us  to  a  vital  point  in  the  divine  process  of 
human  salvation.  It  introduces  Christ  as  the 
saving  power,  without  which  the  soul  is  desti- 
tute of  divine  life.  It  will  admit  of  a  homily, 
which  we  will  give  in  conclusion. 

"For  Christ's  sake,"  is  only  another  expres- 
sion for  the  great  truth,  that  all  our  holy  motions 
and  emotions  are  dependent  on  Jesus.  "  In 
Clirist's  name"  is  a  recognition  that  God  is  man- 
ifest in  His  sacrifice  for  sin,  and  that  it  is  in  His 
mercy  alone  that  we  have  hope.  In  the  solar 
system  there  are  two  motions  of  subordinate 
bodies,  one  on  their  own  axis,  the  other  around 
the  central  orbit;  so  it  is  in  the  spiritual  world, 
the  renewed  soul  is  self-moved,  and  moves  like- 
wise in  its  orbit  of  dependence  on  God.  To  feel 
reliance  on  the  merit  of  Christ,  to  trust  in  His 
name,  binds  the  soul  to  the  central  life,  and  is 
the  expression  of  this  actual  and  practical  rela- 
tion. The  man  who  does  not  feel  it  moves  only 
on  his  own  axis,  and  is  dead  to  God,  while  he 
lives  to  self. 


190         LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF  THE    AGE, 

Thus  the  mind  that  draws  its  motive  from 
Christ  is  a  restored  spirit.  The  affinity  between 
the  divine  and  human  mind  is  re-united,  and  the 
soul  takes  on  its  eternal  movement  around  the 
infinite  center  of  life  and  love,  forever.  "Othe 
depth  of  the  riches  both  of  the  wisdom  and 
knowledge  of  God!" 

0,  holy  One,  who  hath  manifested  thy  mercy 
to  us  in  Christ  Jesus,  in  thy  name  and  in  thy 
merit  we  trust  for  motive  to  move  our  will,  mer- 
cy to  afiect  our  heart,  and  for  grace  to  pardon 
our  sin;  and  not  unto  us,  but  unto  thee,  be  the 
glory. 


CHAPTEE  XII. 

WRITTEN  REVELATION  A  NECESSITY  IN  ORDER   TO 

THE  MORAL  DEVELOPMENT  AND  MORAL 

PROGRESS    OF    MANKIND. 

Rationalists  and  skeptics  generally,  hold,  that 
reason,  including  intuitional  and  reflective  rea- 
son, is  a  sufficient  guide  for  men  in  matters  re- 
lating to  God,  We  can  not  see  how  men  who 
are  conversant  with  human  history,  some  of 
whom  have  made  philosophy  a  study,  can  adopt 
such  an  opinion.  The  highest  result  that  rea- 
son can  give  on  this  subject  has  been  worked 
out  in  such  a  variety  of  circumstances,  that  a 
man  who  fails  to  learn  a  lesson  that  all  experi- 
ence teaches,  must  have  a  will  over  which  rea- 
son has,  in  some  measure,  lost  its  influence. 

The  testimony  of  universal  experience  is,  that 
all  men  have  an  idea  of  the  existence  of  God, 

191 


192  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

but  not  of  the  character  of  God.  Men  can  not 
have  an  intuition  of  the  character  of  God, 
for  the  plain  reason  that  a  knowledge  of  charac- 
ter implies  comparison  of  qualities,  and  hence  re- 
quires a  process  of  reason.  It  is  a  shallow  fal- 
lacy in  philosophy,  that  assumes,  as  many  do, 
that  men  have  an  innate  idea  of  the  character 
as  well  as  the  beins;  of  God.  The  moral  duties 
of  men  to  each  other  may  be  learned  in  a  good 
measure  by  experience,  even  up  to  the  measure 
of  the  golden  rule.  I  know  the  effect  which  the 
conduct  of  another  has  upon  myself.  I  judge 
of  that  conduct,  whether  it  is  in  itself  right  or 
wrong;  and  hence,  by  this  process,  I  can  deter- 
mine what  would  be  right  in  my  neighbor's  case, 
were  our  circumstances  changed.  Reason  is 
clouded  in  men,  and  it  is  developed  slowly  in 
nations ;  hence,  while  rules  of  human  morality 
may  be  developed  by  reason,  yet  it  is  only  in 
the  best  ages  and  in  the  highest  minds  that 
these  higher  moral  conceptions  have  appeared. 
But  the  character  of  God  and  the  duties  of  man 
to  his  Maker,  are  different  things.  Man  with- 
out faith  has  no  immediate  experience  of  the  Di- 
vine character,  and  having  a  mixed'  experience 
by  Providence,   it  is  absolutely  impossible    for 


REVELATION    A    NECESSITY.  193 

reason  to  clothe  the  idea  of  God  with  the  mora] 
attributes  which  belong  to  the  divine  nature. 

Now,  the  universal  experience  of  nations  and 
races  of  men  has  certified  these  facts.  The 
highest  attainment  of  reason  in  relation  to  God 
has  been  skepticism,  or  diversity.  This  was  the 
result  in  India,  in  Greece,  in  Rome,  in  France, 
in  Germany,  and  in  America.  In  all  ages  and 
nations  which  have  furnished  an  opportunity  for 
the  ultimate  development  of  the  reason,  the  re- 
sults have  been  the  same. 

Greece  gathered  all  the  gods  of  all  nations 
into  her  capital  city.  This  was  the  ultimatum 
of  human  reason,  in  the  direction  of  variety. 
Her  philosophers  believed  in  a  divine  being;  but, 
while  they  doubted  of  all  the  idolatries  of  the 
people,  they  differed  as  much  among  themselves 
as  the  people  did  in  relation  to  prevalent  su- 
perstitions. Such  was  also  the  development  in 
Rome.  Tully  and  others  expressed  the  ultima- 
tum of  reason  in  the  affirmation,  that  all  things 
in  relation  to  the  gods  and  the  future  world  were 
matters  of  doubt. 

Reason  reached  the  same  ultimatum  in  France 
and  Germany.  Revelation  in  those  countries 
was  either  forbidden  are  perverted.  The  people 
13 


l94  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE^ 

followed  the  prevailing  superstition,  while  the 
philosophers  reached  a  skepticism  that  was  ma- 
lignant and  terrible  in  its  effects  on  human  char- 
acter and  human  happiness ;  so  terrible,  that  the 
people  who  had  been  seduced  by  it,  were  glad 
to  take  refuge  again  in  the  stronghold  of  the 
old  Catholic  superstition,  as  the  least  of  two 
evils. 

The  highest  result  that  reason  could  attain,  un- 
aided by  revelation,  and  aided  by  all  the  light 
and  experience  of  past  ages,  was  wrought  out 
fairly  in  France.  It  was  a  complete  triumph  of 
skepticism.  Every  thing  concerning  God,  and 
man,  and  the  future  was  involved  in  utter  doubt. 
Reason  triumphed,  and  ultimated  in  the  worship 
of  herself,  in  the  form  of  a  profligate  woman. 
Reason  even  doubted  her  own  affirmations;  and 
only  enough  of  light  was  left  to  see  the  darkness 
into  which  she  had  plunged. 

This  the  best  minds  of  the  age  stated,  in  words 
full  of  true  and  solemn  portent — words  which 
should  teach  others  to  recede  from  the  abyss 
into  w^hich  these  skeptical  philosophers  looked 
before  they  fell.* 

*  Diderot,  dying  after  a  life  of  doubt  and  disappointment,  said 
to  friends  tliat  stood  by  his  couch  to  close  his  eyes  in  the  last 
eleep,  "I  am  about  to  take  a  leap  in  the  dark." 


EEVELATION    A    NECESSITY,  195 

In  Great  Britain  and  America  skepticism  can 
not  become  so  prevalent,  because  in  these  coun- 
tries Christianity  is  better  understood ;  and  where 
skepticism  does  prevail,  it  will  seek  to  attach  to 
itself  many  of  the  virtues  which  Christianity 
has  introduced:  but  the  result  of  the  unguidecl 

The  justly-celebrated  Rousseau  uttered  a  striking  description  of 
the  results  of  skepticism,  and  the  moral  character  and  aim  of 
skeptics.  It  is  true  to  life,  and  true  for  all  time — a  picture  of  the 
highest  product  of  reason  unaided  by  revelation. 

He  said: 

•'  I  have  consulted  our  philosophers,  I  have  perused  their  books, 
I  have  examined  their  several  opinions.  I  have  found  them  all 
proud,  positive,  and  dogmatizing,  even  in  their  pretended  skepti- 
cism, knowing  every  thing,  proving  nothing,  and  ridiculing  one 
another;  and  this  is  the  only  point  in  which  they  concur,  and  iii 
which  they  are  rin^ht.  Daring  when  they  attack,  they  defend 
themselves  without  vigor.  If  you  consider  their  arguments,  they 
have  none  but  for  destruction;  if  3'ou  count  their  muiiber,  each 
one  is  reduced  to  himself;  they  never  unite  but  to  dispute;  to  listen 
to  them  was  not  the  way  to  relieve  myself  from  my  doubts.  I 
conceive  that  the  insufficiency  of  the  human  understanding  was 
the  first  cause  of  this  prodigious  diversity, of  sentiment,  and  that 
pride  was  the  second.  If  our  philosophers  were  able  to  discover 
truth,  which  of  them  would  interest  himself  about  it  ?  Eacli  of 
them  knows  that  his  system  is  not  better  established  than  the 
others;  but  he  supports  it  because  it  is  his  own:  there  is  not  one 
among  them  who,  coming  to  distinguish  truth  from  falsehood, 
would  not  prefer  his  own  error  to  the  truth  that  is  discovered  by 
another.  Where  is  the  philosopher  who,  for  his  own  glory, 
would  not  willingly  deceive  the  whole  human  race  ?  Where  is 
he  who,  in  the  secret  of  his  heart,  proposes  any  other  object  than 
his  own  distinction  ?  Provided  he  can  but  raise  himself  above 
the  commonaltj',  provided  he  can  eclipse  his  competitor,  he    has 


196  LIVING    QUESTIONS   OF    THE    AGE. 

reason  can  in  no  circumstances  be  any  thing 
better  than  doubt,  varied  in  its  form  by  the  di- 
versity of  the  different  minds  that  propagate  it. 
Which  one  of  the  English  skeptics  agreed  with 
another  in  respect  to  the  character  of  God  or 
human  duty  ?  *  Who  agrees  with  Parker  or 
Emerson  in  America?  No  one  ever  did  or 
ever  can.  Skeptics  agree  in  doubt,  but  they  can 
not  agree  concerning  the  things  about  which 
they  doubt.  The  effort  to  propound  any  thing 
positive  is,  in  all  cases,  a  failure ;  and  in  most 
cases,   as  in   Priestley's   form   of  worship   and 

reached  the  summit  of  his  ambition.  The  grcut  thing  for  liim  is 
to  think  differently  from  other  people.  Amon^  believers  he  is  an 
atheist,  among  atheists  a  believer.  Shun,  slum  then  those  who, 
imder  pretense  of  explaining  nature,  sow  in  tlie  liearts  of  men  the 
most  dispiriting  doctrines,  whose  skepticism  is  far  more  affirma- 
tive and  dogmatical  than  the  decided  tone  of  their  adversaries. 
Under  pretense  of  being  themselves  the  only  people  enlightened, 
they  imperiously  subject  us  to  their  magisterial'  decisions,  and 
would  fain  palm  upon  us  for  the  true  causes  of  things  the  unintel- 
ligible S3'stcms  they  have  erected  in  their  own  heads;  while  they 
overturn,  destro}',  and  trample  under  foot  all  that  mankind  reveres, 
snatch  from  tlie  afflicted  the  only  comfort  left  tliem  in  their  misery; 
from  the  rich  and  great  the  only  curb  that  can  restrain  their  pas- 
sions; tear  from  the  heart  all  remorse  of  vice,  all  hopes  of  virtue, 
and  still  boast  themselves  the  benefactors  of  mankind.  '  Truth.' 
they  say,  '  is  never  hurtful  to  man.'  I  believe  tliat  as  well  as 
they,  and  the  same,  in  my  opinion,  is  a  proof  that  what  they 
teach  is  not  the  truth." 

*  See  Lelaud  and  Gregory. 


BEVEL ATION  A  NECESSITY.  197 

Parker's  pliilosopliy  of  God,  the  effort  is  ridicu- 
lous as  it  is  futile.  The  wandering  mind  feels 
the  need  of  something  positive  in  religion;  and 
having  rejected  revealed  truth,  it  seeks  to  at- 
tain from  reason  such  baseless  dogmas  as  the 
rationalist's  "idea,  sense,  and  conception  of 
God."  The  mind  of  man  was  made  to  rest  in 
faith;  and  when  skepticism  deprives  men  of  this 
support,  the  soul  feels  more  of  unrest  and  de- 
privation than  do  the  heathen,  who  rest  in  a 
false  faith.  Unaided  reason  can  doubt,  but  it 
can  not  affirm  any  thing  in  relation  to  God  and 
the  future  that  will  satisfy  the  soul. 

Man  was  not  made  to  be  the  victim  of 
skepticism.  Heathenism  is  better  than  this, 
just  as  ignorance  is  better  than  aberration. 
Revelation  was  made  for  man;  made  to  ele- 
vate the  races  progressively,  from  a  state  of  na- 
ture to  a  state  of  grace;  made  to  spread  from 
families  to  nations,  and  finally  to  reach  all  man- 
kind. 

But  leaving  strictures  on  doubt  and  negation, 
which  are  to  positive  religion  as  night  is  to  the  day, 
let  us  look  at  some  thoughts  which  may  prepare  us 
more  intelligently  to  consider  the  positive  side  of 
the  argument,  which  maintains  that  the  Christian 


198         LIVING    QUESTIONS   OF   THE   AGE. 

Scriptures  are  a  revelation  from  God,  containing 
tlie  ultimate  rule  of  faith  and  duty. 

All  things  are  progressive  in  their  develop- 
ment. Individually  or  socially  considered,  in 
the  life-history  of  things  there  is  infancy,  youth, 
and  maturity.  "First  the  blade,  then  the  ear, 
then  the  full  corn  in  the  ear."  The  Scriptures 
afErm  this  principle.  The  family  of  man  are 
subject  to  this  law.  There  are  ages  of  infancy, 
of  youth  and  of  maturity.  The  first  law  would 
be  one  relating  to  animal  wants,  and  adapted  to 
the  period  of  childhood.  Hence  the  law,  "Thou 
shalt  not  eat  forbidden  fruit,"  as  there  were  no 
neighbors,  and  no  experience;  consequently  this 
was  the  only  adapted  law. 

The  second  dispensation  would  be  adapted  to 
man's  tuition  in  the  next  stage  of  development. 
Hence  the  Mosaic :  which,  as  pictures  in  a  child's 
primmer,  with  explanations  attached;  and  a  written 
moral  law  in  the  briefest  form,  gave  to  a  man  a 
more  perfect  idea  of  God  and  of  moral  duties. 

The  third  stage  would  be  the  ultimate  and  per- 
fect, "the  full  corn  in  the  ear." 

The  first  stage,  or  patriarchal,  would  develop 
itself  from  the  family  into  a  nation;  the  second 
from  the  nation  to  all  nations.  And  in  this  last 
the  law  of  progress  is  fulfilled. 


REVELATION    A    NECESSITY.  199 

Men  of  the  Christian  age,  together  with  the 
knowledge  of  their  own  dispensation,  get  the 
knowledge  generated  and  transmitted  by  the  two 
preceding  ones.  The  foundation-principles  of 
these  were  developed  into  the  final  and  perfect 
form  of  Christianity. 

The  vital  importance  of  the  family,  especially 
its  law  of  duty  and  obedience,  is  developed  fully 
in  the  first  dispensation.      Abraham  is  chosen 
because  he  will  instruct  and   command  his  chil- 
dren, Gen.  18:   19.     In  all  ages  of  revelation, 
this  important  principle  needed  to  be  understood. 
Families  trained    to  obey   righteous  authority, 
and  having  their  consciences  and  hearts  nurtured 
by    the   admonition   and  fear    of  God,  are  the 
anchor-hope  of  a  free   state.     Family  govern- 
ment   and  instruction   that    make    intelligent, 
conscientious,  and  obedient  children,   can  alone 
make  men  fit  for  citizenship  in  a  Republic.     Old 
and  impudent  superstitions  adverse  to  Christian 
education,  will  have  to  be  overcome  before  liber- 
ty and  equality  can  be  established  on  the  basis  of 
enhghtened  conscience. 

Man  needs  to  know  also  the  relation  of  a  state, 
as  a  whole,  to  the  divine  government;  that  ev- 
ery state  has  its  probation ;   that  departure  from 


200  LIVING    QUESTIONS   OF    THE    AGE. 

righteous  principle  will,  in  the  end,  bring  disso- 
lution and  disaster.  This  is  the  teachincr  of  the 
national  history  of  Israel.  It  exhibits  to  all 
ages  the  principles  upon  which  God  administers 
His  government  over  favored  nations,  and  the 
discipline  which  they  must  incur  for  national 
offences  against  justice  and  mercy. 

These  three  stages  of  development  are  like- 
wise exhibited  in  the  moral  progress  of  individ- 
uals. There  is  first  the  natural,  when  animal 
appetite  governs.  Second,  the  intellectual  period 
of  growth,  when  law  and  penalty  govern.  Third, 
for  those  who  rise  to  it,  a  dispensation  of  love 
and  fruit-bearing,  when  faith  governs. 

There  are  likewise  the  lineaments  of  these 
tliree  stages  in  the  advance  of  each  individual 
that  enters  the  kingrdom  of  heaven  on  earth.  An 
illustration  is  furnished  in  the  experience  of  Paul. 
Before  he  became  a  Je\y  spiritually,  i.  e.,  before 
he  apprehended  the  law  as  being  from  God,  and 
obligatory  upon  his  mind,  he  was  free  from  a 
sense  of  sin;  he  was  sensual,  governed  by  his 
own  natural  impulses.  Second,  when  he  real- 
ized the  spirituality  of  the  law,  he  became  a 
true  Pharisee;  felt  condemned  for  sin;  and  en- 
deavored  to  escape  condemnation  by  works  of 


EEVELATIOlSr    A    NECESSITY.  201 

law.  Third,  he  was  made  free  by  faith;  and 
that  which  before  was  a  work  of  the  intellect 
and  will,  without  inward  love  and  impulse,  aow 
became  easy  and  holy,  being  prompted  by  love 
which  was  produced  by  faith  in  Christ.  Through 
this  process,  in  some  degree,  passes  every  indi- 
vidual who  rises  from  nature  through  conviction 
into  grace. 

Hence  also  the  three  developments  of  the 
name  of  Jehovah.  Al-Shaddai,  God  of  nature 
or  power.  Second,  Jehovah.  A  development 
of  the  same  name  known  to  the  fathers,  Ex.  6; 
3 ;  but,  in  the  second  dispensation,  to  be  changed 
from  Al-Shaddai  to  Jehovah,  who  now  developed 
himself  in  moral  law  and  tuition.  In  the  third, 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit,  the  God  of  power, 
and  developed  by  law  and  tuition  into  the  God 
of  grace.  Thus  by  the  progressive  development 
of  the  divine  character,  has  the  human  mind 
been  raised  by  faith  in  that  character  through 
the  first  and  second,  into  the  third  and  ultimate 
state  of  knowledge. 

With  these  preliminary  remarks,  I  invite  your 
attention  to  the  following  train  of  thought,  as 
proof  of  the  Necessity  of  a  Written  Revela- 
tion. 


202  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

I  have  in  other  volumes  discussed  the  details 
of  the  statements  which  follow.  An  outline 
view  will  indicate  the  course  of  thought  which 
you  will  there  find  more  fully  and  carefully 
stated.  Please  notice  the  form  and  force  of  the 
principles  separately,  and  then  in  their  relation 
to  each  other  we  shall  see  the  necessity  of  a 
written  revelation,  given  by  divine  authority. 

Every  species  of  nature  may  be  cultivated. 
Its  properties  or  faculties  may  be  improved. 
This  is  true  in  a  general  sense;  and  especially 
true  as  we  rise  toward  the  higher  species.  But 
the  improvement  of  any  species  must  come  from 
one  higher  than  itself.  There  may  be  choice  in- 
dividuals produced  by  chance  circumstances,  but 
no  species  can  raise  itself  above  its  natural 
level. 

Now,  a  distingishing  characteristic  of  man  is, 
that  he  is  both  a  cultivable  and  a  cultivating 
being.  He  cultivates  the  species  of  nature  be- 
low him  and  fits  them  to  his  use,  while  he  him- 
self is  capable  of  moral  culture. 

But  as  it  requires  man's  superior  powers  of 
intellect  and  example  to  cultivate  the  orders  be- 
low him,  and  to  raise  thom  above  their  natural 
condition,  so  it  requires   the  powers  of  a  being 


EEVELATION  A  NECESSITY.  203 

above  man  to  elevate  him,  as  a  moral  being, 
into  a  new  sphere  of  thought  and  feeling.  The 
conclusion,  therefore,  arises  not  only  from  the 
analogy  but  from  the  necesity  of  things,  that  as 
man,  a  higher  species,  cultivates  nature,  so 
Christ  from  above  cultivates  man.  Let  us  ac- 
cept the  principle  which  can  not  be  controverted 
that  no  species  can  raise  itself  above  its  natural 
level  without  the  tuition  of  a  higher  mind. 

But  what  are  the  means  of  culture  adapted  to 
man's  nature  as  a  moral  being?  There  are  these 
four,  namely,  written  language,  faith,  conscience, 
and  example.  Faith  and  conscience  are  subjec- 
tive susceptibilities,  and  written  language  and 
example  are  objective  means  answering  to  them ; 
and  by  the  interaction  of  these,  man  may  be 
cultivated  into  the  sphere  of  a  superior  species. 
But  the  external  means  must  be  exercised  by  an 
agency  superior  to  himself,  or  he  will  never  rise 
above  his  natural  selfish  and  earthly  nature. 

Notice  the  facts  and  their  application.  Writ- 
ten, or  sign-language,  is  generally  supposed  to 
be  a  natural  product  of  the  human  reason. 
However  this  may  be,  it  is  certain  that  men, 
after  they  have  attained  a  settled  social  condition, 
always  form  for  themselves  a  language  of  signs. 


204         LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF   THE   AGE. 

Without  this  they  can  not  ascend  from  the  first 
stages  of  barbarism.  Fixed  signs  of  thought 
are  necessary  before  there  can  be  commercial 
progress,  forms  of  law,  or  fixed  moral  principles. 

Sign-language  is  one  of  the  distinguishing 
characteristics  of  the  human  species.  Animals 
below  man  can  communicate  to  each  other  cer- 
tain ideas,  but  they  can  ■  not  impress  them  upon 
external  objects,  and  thus  transmit  to  others  a 
fixed  sign  of  their  thought. 

If,  then,  sign-langUage  is  a  characteristic  of 
man,  and  if  he  can  not  be  elevated  from  barbar- 
ism to  social  and  civil  position  without  it,  it 
would  be  absurd  to  suppose  that  his  moral  cul- 
ture can  be  accomplished  without  this  necessary 
medium. 

Hence,  so  soon  as  the  primitive  nations  be- 
came settled,  and  so  soon  as  sign-languages  were 
matured,  God  gave  to  man,  a  brief  written  re- 
cord of  the  past,  of  his  own  character,  and  of  his 
will ;  and  these,  together  with  new  and  progres- 
sive spiritual  ideas  generated  by  forms  and  ex- 
ternal types,  were  rendered  permanent  in  sign- 
language,  and  transmitted  to  the  future  by  the 
ritual  dispensation  of  Moses. 

The  second  characteristic  wliich  distinguishes 


REVELATION    A    NECESSITY.  205. 

man  from  irrational  beings,  is  faitli.  Animals 
receive  their  knowledge  through  the  senses ;  man 
receives  most  of  his  knowledge  by  credence.* 
All  the  experience  of  the  past  is  given  to  him 
by  faith  in  testimony.  It  is  faith  alone  that 
connects  man  with  the  past  and  the  future,  with 
God  and  the  spiritual  world.  Now,  faith  de- 
pends on  written  language  to  reach  the  past,  and 
on  hope  to  reach  the  future,  and  on  written  rev- 
elation to  know  God.  Man  is  a  believincr  beino- 
by  nature;  and  without  faith  he  is  no  better 
than  the  brute,  with  a  perverted  faith  he  is 
worse. 

Faith  is  the  spiritual  sense.  By  it  spiritual 
objects  become  subjective  in  the  soul,  as  external 
physical  objects  become  subjective  by  sense. 
By  faith  in  revealed  truth,  the  character  of  God 
becomes  a  conscious  influence  in  the  soul.  "  Faith 
works  by  love."  "He  that  loveth,  knoweth  God, 
for  God  is  love."       Thus  by  faith  the  character 

*  There  is  a  class  of  philosophers  who  contend  that  they  re- 
ceive all  their  knowledge  through  the  senses.  By  this  method 
men  are  allied  to  animal  natures;  but  the  distinguishing  character- 
istic between  men  and  animals  is  that  one  receives  all  his  knowl- 
edge by  sense,  the  other  by  sense  and  above  this  by  faith  in  testi- 
mony. The  faculty  of  credence  gives  men  knowledge  of  the  un- 
known and  the  spiritual,  which  alone  distinguishes  him  from  brute 
natures. 


206  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

of  God,  and  the  life  and  precepts  of  God  record- 
ed in  divine  revelation,  become  united  in  the 
moral  culture  of  man.  In  this  way  the  subjec- 
tive susceptibility  of  faith  is  met  by  the  objec- 
tive facts  of  divine  revelation. 

Mark,  now,  that  without  divine  truth  exter- 
nally revealed,  the  susceptibility  of  faith  is  in- 
jurious and  evil  to  man.  Faith  controls  man's 
character  and  his  life.  If  I  believe  my  neigh- 
bor to  be  a  bad  man,  I  will  feel  as  though  he 
were  so.  If  a  Catholic  who  has  been  deprived 
of  the  Bible,  believes  he  ought  to  confess  to  the 
Virgin  Mary,  his  conscience  will  reprove  him  if 
he  does  not  do  so.  Faith  forms  man's  character 
and  his  conscience  in  accordance  with  what  the 
man  believes,  whether  that  be  true  or  false. 
Faith  of  itself  is  blind ;  it  needs  a  guide  as  much 
as  a  blind  man  needs  eyes.  Without  revealed 
religion  as  the  guide  of  faith,  "the  blind  lead  the 
blind,  and  both  fall  into  the  ditch."  Now  no- 
tice in  connection. 

Faith  is  connected  with  conscience  as  well  as 
with  sign-language  in  the  moral  development  of 
man.  This  brings  us  to  the  third  fact  in  the 
means  of  human  culture.  There  are  two  ele- 
ments in  efficient  faith,   one    the  external  fact, 


EEVELATION    A    NECESSITY.  207 

tlie  other  the  divine  authority  of  the  fact.  Con- 
science will  respond  to  no  truth  unless  faith  de- 
livers it  as  coming  from  God.  Great  souls,  such 
as  Plato,  Seneca,  and  Tully,  have  spoken  great 
truths;  but  who  cared  for  these?  None  but 
those  who  did  not  need  them.  These  were  men 
like  others,  liable  to  mistakes,  and  could  give 
only  their  opinions,  hence  they  had  no  authority 
overmen.  Their  sayings,  therefore,  could  neither 
awaken  or  guide  the  conscience. 

God  has  so  constituted  the  soul,  that  con- 
science will  enforce  no  truth  upon  the  life  with 
efficiency,  unless  it  has  God  in  it.  The  moment 
faith  sees  God  in  truth,  that  moment  conscience 
awakes  and  enforces  it  as  a  duty.  Jesus  Christ 
himself  did  not  teach  that  his  truth  would  have 
full  reformatory  efficacy  until  after  his  resurrec- 
tion. He  taught  that  by  his  resurrection  and 
the  advent  of  the  Spirit,  the  evidence  of  divine 
authority  would  be  given  to  his  truth,  and  then 
it  would  attain  new  power  and  application  in 
the  souls  of  men.  Truth  alone  has  no  power 
with  the  conscience.  When  truth  comes  in  the 
name  of  God,  then  only  conscience  awakes  and 
enforces  obedience. 

But  mark,  now.       Conscience,  like  faith,  is 


208  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF   THE    AGE. 

blind  without  a  guide,  and  with  a  blind  guide  it 
is  doul)ly  blind.  If  a  man  believe  in  no  God, 
he  will  have  no  conscience  in  relation  to  any  re- 
ligious duty.  If  he  believe  his  god  sanctions 
theft,  as  do  the  devotees  of  Kale,  he  will  steal. 
If  he  believe  his  god  sanctions  child-sacrifice, 
conscience  will  enforce  the  murder,  even  against 
the  parental  instinct.  So  faith  governs  con- 
science, and  both  are  false  and  foul  without 
truth.  With  truth  recognized  as  being  only  of 
human  origin,  faith  is  dead  and  conscience  in- 
efficient. Hence,  the  truth,  and  not  only  the 
truth,  but  God-revealed  truth,  the  truth  of  God 
in  written  language,  is  the  only  true  guide  of 
the  soul. 

But  if  God  has  so  constituted  the  soul  that  a 
written  revelation  is  required  in  order  to  moral 
progress:  as  God  is  true,  that  revelation  would 
be  given.  As  God  is  true,  that  revelation  has 
been  given  in  the  Christian  Scriptures,  because 
the  Scriptures  are  a  revelation  of  truth  in  pro- 
gressive dispensations,  up  to  tlie  perfect  in  love, 
in  precept,  and  in  example. 

We  come  now  to  the  fourth  requisite  in  order 
to  the  moral  culture  of  man,  a  perfect  example 
of  human  duty,  after  human  duty  is  revealed. 


EEVELATION  A  NECESSITY.  209 

Instruction  is  never  perfect  without  example 
Oliver  Evans  could  not  give  his  perfect  theor}/ 
of  a  steam-mill,  and  say  to  any  one  who  under- 
stood his  words  and  his  plan,  "Go  and  build  a 
mill."  His  common-sense  would  teach  him 
that  the  practice  has  to  be  learned  as  well  as 
the  theory.  The  master-workman  must  take 
the  saw  and  hatchet,  and  practice  the  theory  in 
the  presence  of  the  pupil,  and  put  the  learner 
through  the  routine  of  the  labor.  So  in  all 
things :  theory  is  only  a  part  of  knowledge ;  the 
practice  has  to  be  learned  by  effort  and  exam- 
ple. So  in  religion.  We  needed  not  only  the 
precept,  but  the  example  how  to  practice  under 
the  precept  in  our  circumstances.  This  Christ 
has  given.  In  the  New  Testament,  Jesus  is 
seen  practicing  the  divine  precept,  and  saying 
to  his  disciples,  "Follow  me." 

Again,  example  is  needed  not  only  of  moral 
duty,  but  of  the  spirit  in  which  duty  is  to  be 
discharged.  This  also  is  given  in  the  New 
Testament. 

Again,  as  precepts  must   be  general  in    their 

nature,  there  are  many  specific    applications    of 

them  which  men  could  not  know  were  it  not  for 

the  example  of  Christ.     When  a  son  knows  the 

1± 


210         LIVING   QUESTIONS   OF   THE    AGE. 

character,  and  spirit,  and  motives  of  his  father, 
he  will  be  able  to  judge,  in  his  absence,  what  his 
lather  would  do  in  specific  cases,  and  hence  what 
he  would  have  him  to  do.  So  the  example  and 
spirit  of  Christ  is  a  sure  guide  to  his  disciples 
in  applying  his  precepts  to  the  specific  duties  of 
life.  When  the  believing  mind  inquires,  what 
would  Christ  have  me  do  in  this  case?  the  life 
and  Spirit  of  Jesus,  revealed  in  the  Scriptures, 
will  guide  to  the  right  conclusion. 

But,  finally,  and  above  all,  in  order  to  man's 
continued  progress  toward  the  perfect,  he  needs 
an  example  that  is  ever  above  him,  the  example 
of  one  whose  excellence  will  show  him  his  de- 
fects, and  whose  love  and  proffered  aid  will  in- 
vite him  to  higher  attainments.  Faith  in  Christ's 
example  induces  a  sense  of  unworthiness,  at  the 
same  time  that  faith  in  his  sacrifice  for  us,  moves 
the  soul  by  love,  and  induces  self-denial  for 
others.  This  is  the  true  Christian  consciousness, 
and  highest  moral  condition.     Matt.  11:  28-30. 

No  one  will  doubt  but  that  a  sense  of  present 
imperfection  and  a  struggle  for  higher  attain- 
ment in  holiness,  other  things  being  given,  is  the 
sure  method  of  moral  progress.  Now,  at  the 
entrance  of  the  straight  gate   that  leads  to  life 


REVELATION    A    NECESSITY.  211 

stands  the  Saviour  of  men.  He  is  ever  before 
his  disciples.  The  hght  of  his  perfect  character 
shows  them  their  defects.  The  love  of  his  heart 
strengthens  and  encourages  by  the  way.  The 
mark  of  the  prize  of  their  high  calling  is  to  at- 
tain the  perfection  of  his  character;  and  to 
those  who  are  running  the  race  with  whatever 
of  knowledge  and  strength  they  possess,  the  di- 
vine favor  and  the  divine  providence  are  a  con- 
scious blessing  and  constant  guide. 

Thus,  I  think  it  is  plain  that  the  Bible  was 
made  for  man;  that  it  possesses  the  characteris- 
tics which  are  alone  adapted  to  develop  his 
moral  faculties  up  to  the  perfect.  A  revealed, 
written  revelation  is  a  necessity  of  man's  moral 
nature.  The  Bible  meets  the  necessity,  and 
therefore  the  Bible  is  of  God. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

EEVELATION      THE      MOTIVE-POWER     IN      HUMAN 
PROGEESS. 

Has  the  Bible  given  impulse  and  direction  in 
every  successful  effort  that  has  ever  been 
made  for  the  moral  progress  of  mankind? 
Let  us  pass  at  once  to  the  main  and  ultimate 
question  as  to  the  facts. 

The  Bible  itself,  as  every  thinking  man  knows 
claims  that  its  mission  is  to  enlighten  the  world, 
and  to  advance  the  moral  interests  of  the  hu- 
man family.  It  has  been  shown,  as  we  think, 
that  human  nature  is  so  constituted,  that  reveal- 
ed religion  is  necessary  in  order  to  the  moral  de- 
velopment of  our  race.  Do  historical  facts 
verify  this  conclusion? 

We  have  said  that  the  Bible  claims  to  be. 
both   light  and  power  in  the  moral  progress  of 


REVELATION    THE    MOTIVE-POWER.        213 

the  world.  It  is  however  sometimes  said  that  the 
orthodox  party  claims  more  for  the  Bible  than 
it  claims  for  itself.  This  may  be  true  when 
some  eulogists  of  revelation  claim  for  it  extra- 
ordinary excellences  of  style,  and  other  extrin- 
sic matters  of  that  sort.  But  it  is  not  true  in 
regard  to  the  claim  of  moral  light  and  power. 
The  Bible  does  claim  these,  and  all  friends  of 
revelation  should  claim  them  for  it.  Notice 
this. 

The  Old  Testament  writers  speak  of  their 
own  dispensation  as  the  light  of  their  age ;  and 
the  minds  of  the  old  prophets  glow  with  inspira- 
tion when  they  refer  to  the  increased  light  and 
purity  of  Messiah's  age,  an  age  when  "the  light 
of  the  moon  was  to  be  as  the  light  of  the  sun, 
and  the  sun  itself  would  shine  with  sevenfold 
effulgence."  "To  the  people  that  sat  in  dark- 
ness and  in  the  valley  and  the  shadow  of  death," 
they  declared  that  a  "hght  would  spring  up." 
About  the  last  utterance  of  the  last  of  the  proph- 
ets refers  to  the  purifying  power  of  the  Messiah's 
dispensation,  and  to  the  spiritual  hght  which 
would  be  revealed  in  his  day.  Mai.  3:  1,  2. 
"  Behold  I  will  send  my  messenger  before  me, 
[John  Baptist,]  and  he  shall  prepare  the  way  be- 


214  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

fore  me;  and  the  Lord,  [Messiah,]  whom  ye  seek 
shall  suddenly  come  to  his  temple;  even  the 
messenger  of  the  covenant  whom  ye  delight  in: 
behold"  he  shall  come,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts! 
But  who  may  abide  the  day  of  his  coming?  and 
who  shall  stand  when  he  appeareth?  For  he 
shall  be  like  a  refiner's  fire  and  like  fuller's 
soap;  and  he  shall  sit  as  a  refiner  and  purifier 
of  silver."  That  is,  the  Messiah's  dispensation 
would  purify  and  elevate  those  who  were  sub- 
jects of  its  influence.  And,  ch.  4:  2,  3,  while 
the  wicked  would  be  condemned  and  destroyed, 
"to  those  who  feared  the  Lord,  the  Sun  of  right- 
eousness would  arise  with  healing  in  his 
beams." 

To  this  light  of  the  old  dispensation  the  peo- 
ple who  first  heard  the  gospel,  and  who  lived  in 
the  transition  period,  from  the  death  of  Christ 
to  the  fall  of  Jerusalem,  were  exhorted  to  take 
heed.  Although  it  shone  in  a  darker  dispensa- 
tion, yet  it  was  a  "lamp"  in  the  path  that  led 
to  a  clearer  manifestation  of  divine  love  and  truth. 
This  view  of  the  relations  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testament  light  the  Apostle  Peter  beautifully  ex- 
presses in  his  second  letter,  ch,  1:  19,  "We 
have  also  a  more  sure  word  of  prophecy,  where- 


REVELATION  THE  MOTIVE-POWER.        215 

unto  ye  do  well  that  ye  take  lieed,  as  unto  a 
light  that  shineth  in  a  dark  place,  [age,]  until  the 
day  dawn,  and  the  day-star,  [of  the  gospel  dis- 
pensation,] arise  in  your  hearts."  The  Old  T(is- 
tament  dispensation,  as  interpreted  by  the  in- 
spired prophets,  was  as  a  light  in  the  night. 
The  New  Dispensation  was  daylight,  which  was 
then  dawning  in  the  hearts  of  believers.  They 
were  to  take  heed  to  the  one  till  the  other  was 
inaugurated. 

John  Baptist,  the  forerunner  of  Jesus,  who 
came  to  reprove  his  nation  and  to  call  them  to 
repentance,  as  the  proper  preparation  for  the 
reign  of  Messiah,  was  called  "a  burning  and  a 
shining  light."  The  first  prophetic  announce- 
ment of  the  character  of  Jesus,  after  his  advent, 
by  the  pious  Simeon,  was  that  he  should  be  "a 
light  to  enlighten  the  Gentiles,  and  the  glory  of 
his  people  Israel,"  and  that  he  would  "be  set  for 
the  fall,  [by  repentance,]  and  rising  again,  [to  a 
higher  moral  state,]  of  many  in  Israel."  That 
is,  the  Gentile  nations  should  be  enlightened  by 
Christ,  and  "many"  of  the  Jewish  nation  would 
feel  condemned  in  the  light  of  his  dispensation, 
and  would  rise  again  into  the  higher  moral  con- 
dition which  it  required. 


216         LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

John,  although  himself  called  a  light,  alErmed 
that  he  was  not  that  light  which  was  to  raise  a 
portion  of  the  Jewish  people,  and  enlighten  the 
Gentile  nations.  "He  was  not  that  light,  but 
was  sent  to  bear  witness  of  that  light;"  "  that 
was  the  true  light  that  enlighteneth  every  man 
that  cometh  into  the  world,"  both  Jew  and  Gen- 
tile. 

Jesus  himself  claimed  to  be  "the  light  of  the 
world."  "I  am,"  said  he,  "come  a  light  into 
the  world,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  me  should 
not  abide  in  darkness."  "I  am  the  light  of  the 
world;  he  that  folio weth  me  shall  not  walk  in 
darkness,  but  shalL  have  the  light  of  life." 
The  truth  which  he  declared  as  the  basis  of  con- 
demnation was,  that  "light  had  come  into  the 
world,  and  men  loved  the  darkness  rather  than 
the  light,  because  their  deeds  were  evil." 

The  apostles  apprehended  distinctly  that  the 
increased  light  of  revelation  was  the  reforming 
and  the  elevating  power  of  the  nations.  They 
not  only  understood  the  fact,  that  revelation  was 
the  moral  life  and  light  of  men,  but  they  under- 
stood the  relations  of  this  fact,  and  its  place  in 
the  moral  progress  of  the  world.  "The  dark- 
ness," said  they,  "is  past,  and  the  true  light  now 


REVELATION    THE    MOTIVE-POWER.        217 

shlneth."  They  speak  of  tlie  cliurcli  of  Christ 
as  "the  light  of  the  world,"  and  Christians  as 
"the  Children  of  the  Light."  There  is,  proba- 
bly, no  other  topic  which  suggests  illustrations 
to  the  minds  of  the  sacred  writers  more  varied 
and  beautiful  than  this  one;  and  there  is  none 
other  which  conveys  to  us  truth  of  more  vital 
importance.  There  is,  in  my  opinion,  no  figures 
in  human  languao-e  more  striking  than  those 
which  the  inspired  writers  use  in  presenting 
truth  under  the  symbol  of  light,  not  only  in  the 
past  and  present,  but  in  the  apocalyptic  visions 
of  the  future.  What  can  be  more  striking  than 
the  figures  of  the  Revelator.  Forecasting  the 
period  of  the  Reformation,  he  speaks  of  the 
"two  witnesses,"  the  Old  and  New  Testaments, 
which,  clothed  in  sackcloth,  were  lying  without 
vitality  in  the  streets;  these  are  elevated  into 
the  heavens,  from  which  position  they  attract 
the  attention  of  men,  and  send  the  rays  of  the 
Reformation  down  into  their  hearts.  The  church 
of  Christ,  witnessing  for  truth,  is  spoken  of  as 
"A  woman,  clothed  with  the  sun,  and  the  moon 
under  her  feet,  and  upon  her  head  a  crown  of 
twelve  stars." 

But  I  need  not  dwell  upon  the  fact  that  tbe 


218  LIVING   QUESTIONS   OF   THE    AGE.^ 

Scriptures  do  claim  that  the  truth  of  revelation 
is  the  moral  light  of  the  world.  There  is  an- 
other fact  connected  with  this  subject;  one  which 
the  cursory  reader  overlooks,  but  it  is  one  which 
relates  to  the  vital  power  of  truth;  the  Scrip- 
tures claim  that  there  is  spirit  and  life  in  the 
truth  which  they  reveal.  To  this  life  of  the 
light,  I  ask  your  attention,  before  the  historical 
analysis  which  is  to  follow.  It  is  well  to  ascer- 
tain accurately  the  apostolic  conception,  and  the 
breadth  of  the  Scripture  claim,  before  an  appeal 
to  external  testimony. 

To  see  an  evil  is  one  thing;  to  lead  men  to 
feel  the  turpitude  of  evil,  in  itself,  in  themselves 
and  in  the  sight  of  God,  is  quite  another  thing. 
We  have  already  noticed  this  fact.  It  will  not 
be  necessary  to  dwell  on  it  here.  Suffice  it  to 
say,  that  in  order  to  the  moral  progress  of  men 
two  things  are  necessary.  First,  that  men 
should  see  the  evil ;  and  second,  that  they  should 
feel  such  a  sense  of  the  evil  as  will  lead  them  to 
turn  from  it,  and  seek  a  higher  life.  Light  is 
necessary  to  see  the  evil.  A  sense  of  God  and 
duty  with  that  light,  is  necessary  to  lead  men 
from  the  evils  which  the  light  reveals. 

Now,  this  reproving  or  convicting   power  ac- 


REVELATION    THE   MOTIVE-POWER.        219 

companies  the  light  of  revealed  religion.  There 
may  be  intellectual  culture  where  there  is  no 
moral  purity.  The  first  benefit  is  scarcely  a 
blessing  without  the  last.  A  knowledge  of  right 
and  duty  only  renders  one  a  greater  hypocrite 
unless  he  have  moral  sense  and  moral  life  suffi- 
cient to  conform  to  his  own  convictions.  Now, 
this  reproving  power,  which  leads  men  to  feel 
the  evil  of  sins  which  they  perceive,  the  Scrip- 
tures claim  for  themselves  as  a  spiritual  efiicacy 
which  accompanies  revealed  truth.  Let  us  no- 
tice and  illustrate  this  fact. 

We  have  shown  elsewhere  that  truth  has 
power  over  the  moral  nature  of  men,  only  so 
far  as  a  sense  of  God  and  duty  is  in  it.  There 
needs  to  be  life  as  well  as  light  in  that  truth 
which  has  reforming  power  in  the  world.  This 
life-power  the  sacred  writers  claim  as  belonging 
to  the  gospel.  It  is  a  power  by  which  men  feel 
reproved  or  condemned  for  the  sins  which  truth 
reveals  to  them,  a  power  which  leads  them  to 
disapprove  evils  in  themselves  and  others  "made 
manifest  by  the  light." 

Christ  is  spoken  of  as  being  not  only  the 
"light,"  but  the  "life"  of  men.  The  second 
Adam  gave  not  only  light  to  the   intellect,  but 


220         .LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

life  to  the  heart.  He  was  a  "  hfe-giving"  as 
well  as  a  "  light-giving"  Spirit.  "The  words 
that  I  speak  unto  you,"  said  Jesus,  "they  are 
spirit  and  they  are  life."  "I  am  the  light  of 
the  world.  He  that  followetli  me  shall  not  walk 
in  darkness,  but  shall  have  the  light  of  life." 
"I  am  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life."  Now, 
this  life,  or  reproving,  or  convicting  power,  is 
the  glory  of  the  gospel.  Without  this,  the  in- 
tellect may  be  enlightened,  while  the  conscience 
will  be  dead  and  the  heart  corrupt.  Hence  Je- 
sus said,  "Ye  will  not  come  unto  me  lest  your 
deeds  should  be  reproved."  The  one  thing 
needful,  after  the  understanding  is  enlightened 
in  relation  to  moral  duties,  is  this  reproving  life 
in  the  conscience  of  men,  which  produces  "re- 
pentance unto  life."  The  Holy  Ghost,  which 
gave  the  God-sense  to  truth,  is  this  reproving 
power.  The  divine  Spirit  gives  life  to  the  soul, 
by  the  truth.  Christ  taught'  that  when  the 
Comforter,  which  is  the  Holy  Ghost,  should 
come  into  the  world.  He  would  persuade,  or  re- 
prove, the  world  of  sin,  righteousness  and  judg- 
ment. 

The  disciples    understood    that    without    this 
moral  power,  the  mere  intellectual  light  of  truth 


EEVELATION  THE  MOTIVE-POWER.        221 

would  increase  sin  instead  of  producing  holiness. 
Hence  they  said,  "Christ  hath  made  us  ministers 
of  the  New  Testament ;  not  of  the  letter,  but  of 
the  spirit ;  for  the  letter  killeth,  but  the  spirit 
giveth  life."  Paul,  in  his  letter  to  the  Chris- 
tians at  Ephesus,  states  with  great  distinctness 
the  effect  and  the  necessity  of  gospel  truth,  both 
as  an  enlightening  and  reproving  power.  5:  13, 
"All  things  that  are  reproved  are  made  manifest 
by  the  hght;  for  whatsoever  doth  make  mani- 
fest is  light:  wherefore  [the  gospel  saith]  Awake, 
thou  that  sleepest,  and  arise  from  the  dead,  and 
Christ  shall  give  thee  light."  That  is,  the  light 
of  revealed  religion  shows  the  moral  evils  which 
exist  in  the  heart  and  in  the  world;  and  the  life- 
power  of  the  Spirit  accompanying  that  light, 
leads  us  to  feel  the  guilt  of  these  evils. 

Notice,  now,  an  instance  of  the  influence  and 
practical  operation  of  this  moral  power  of  truth, 
as  it  affected  the  reformation  of  the  world  in  the 
apostolic  age.  The  same  principle  we  shall 
see  is  applicable  in  all  other  cases,  and  in  all 
time. 

Take  the  case  of  the  city  of  Ephesus,  to  the 
Christian  inhabitants  of  which  Paul  writes  the 
passage  we  have  quoted.     The  apostle  describes 


222         LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

this  city  as  sitting  in  darkness,  and  her  citizena 
as  corrupted  by  the  practice  of  the  most  debas- 
ing vices.  He  says  to  the  Christians,  "Ye  were 
sometime  darkness,  but  now  are  ye  hght  in  the 
Lord.  Walk  as  children  of  the  light,  and  have 
no  fellowship  with  the  unfruitful  works  of  dark- 
ness, but  rather  reprove  them;  for  it  is  a  shame 
even  to  speak  of  those  things  which  are  done  of 
them  in  secret."  Such  was  the  celebrated  city 
of  Ephesus  when  the  light  and  reproving  power 
of  the  gospel  reached  her.  What  was  necessary 
in  her  case? 

Intellectual  light  was  not  what  the  men  of 
Ephesus  wanted.  They  lived  in  the  Augustan 
age,  the  noon-day  of  ancient  civilization.  They 
lived  when  the  light  of  reason  had  reached  its 
meridian  in  the  ancient  world.  They  lived  in 
the  Eclectic  age,  when  the  best  thoughts  were 
collected  from  Plato  and  all  the  great  thinkers 
that  had  gone  before.  It  was  the  age  of  Seneca 
and  Pliny,  of  Tacitus,  Josephus,  and  Plutarch, 
the  crowning  authors  of  the  ancient  literature, 
in  morals,  history,  science,  and  religion. 

And  this  city  of  Ephesus  was  one  of  the 
points  in  Asia  where  art  and  letters  had  done  all 
they  could  do  for  human  culture.     Diana  of  the 


KEVELATION    THE    MOTIVE -POWER.        223 

Epliesians  was  one  of  the  purest  slirines  at  which 
the  old  world  worshiped;  and  her  temple  was 
one  of  the  most  magnificent  structures  that  was 
ever  erected  and  adorned  by  human  hands. — 
About  the  time  that  Paul  wrote  the  passage 
which  we  have  quoted,  describing  the  appalling 
corruption  which  prevailed  in  the  city,  Pliny, 
one  of  the  wisest  and  most  refined  men  of  his 
age,  speaks  of  Ephesus  as  "one  of  the  luminaries 
of  Asia."  The  one  considered  her  as  full  of 
hght,  the  other  looked  upon  her  as  full  of  dark- 
ness. Both  views  were  true,  according  to  the 
standard  by  which  the  writers  formed  their 
judgment.  Pliny  saw  her  as  the  seat  of  the 
best  civilization  and  the  highest  culture  that  a 
people  without  revelation  had  ever  attained. 
But  underneath  the  glare  of  vain-glory,  Paul 
saw  a  degree  of  corruption  that  defiled  her  very 
heart.  She  was  "a  whited  sepulcher,  full  of 
dead  men's  bones."  The  light  that  was  in  her 
was  darkness.  Those  who  lived  in  it  said,  "Be- 
hold, we  see!"  and  the  baptism  of  their  sacred 
rites,  by  which  they  sought  to  purify  themselves, 
only  infected  them  with  baser  pollution. 

What  was  needed,  now,    in  order  to    reform 
and  save  this    people  ?       Was    it    civilization  ? 


224  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

This  they  had  attained  in  the  highest  degree 
which  unaided  reason  could  achieve.  Was  it 
philosophy?  Some  of  the  most  celebrated 
schools  were  in  this  city.  Was  it  perfection  of 
art?  The  best  models  of  the  age,  some  of  which 
still  exist  as  artistic  wonders  for  the  moderns, 
were  at  Ephesus;  and  it  is  recorded  that  the 
personal  accomplishments  and  taste  of  her  citi- 
zens were  celebrated  throughout  surroundino;  re- 
gions.  All  these  she  had,  as  many  cities  of 
modern  Europe  have  still,  and  yet,  having  eyes, 
her  citizens  saw  not  the  prevailing  corruption ; 
and  having  ears,  they  heard  not  the  sentence  of 
condemnation  written  against  them. 

What  they  needed,  first  of  all,  was  light  to 
discern  the  evil  nature  of  sin;  and  second,  that 
personal  sense  of  the  evil  which  would  lead 
them  to  escape  from  it,  and  endeavor  to  rescue 
others.  Until  they  saw  their  sin  and  felt  its 
evil,  they  could  make  no  advances  in  moral 
character. 

Now,  Paul  affirmed  in  relation  to  these  men, 
and  to  this  subject,  two  things — that  whatever 
they  saw  to  be  evil  in  their  former  practice  was 
made  manifest  to  them  by  the  moral  light  of 
the  gospel,  and  that  wliatsoever  makes  sin  man- 
ifest, as  the  gospel  does,  is  light. 


REVELATION    THE    MOTIVE -POWER.        225 

Once  more.  Notice  that  this  state  of  intel- 
lectual culture  and  moral  blindness  was  not  con- 
fined to  the  old  world.  The  same  is  true  of  the 
moderns ;  although  our  own  country  does  not  re- 
mind one  of  the  union  between  culture  and  sin,  as 
do  the  cities  of  Europe.  The  art  and  intellect- 
ual culture  of  Europe  is  the  culture  of  the  few 
as  against  the  many.  Paris,  with  her  academy, 
her  columns,  her  galleries  of  painting,  her  stat- 
uary, her  cathedrals,  her  philosphers,  her  orato- 
rios, her  taste  and  fashion,  her  every  thing  that 
IS  deemed  a  mark  of  high  intellectual  culture, 
Paris,  with  all  these,  is  the  brothel  of  nations, 
a  city  where  every  species  of  moral  corruption 
festers  and  infects  the  inhabitants,  and  spreads 
moral  contagion  over  the  continent. 

I  have  stood  in  her  galleries  at  Versailles  and 
the  Louvre,  and  felt  in  my  soul  that  her  models 
of  art  were  a  curse  to  the  people.  They  are 
adapted  to  gild  the  memory  of  those  who,  being 
corrupt  in  heart  and  profligate  in  practice,  are 
now  sufliering  the  hell  that  awaits  selfish  and 
impure  minds.  Their  undraped  statuary  imparts 
the  infection  of  the  old  world's  guilt  to  the  new. 
The  pictures  of  the  old  masters,  and  from  them 
down  even  to  David,  sanctify  the  deeds  of  de- 
15 


226  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

vils  under  the  name  of  kings  and  cardinals. 
Thus  the  popular  mind  is  led  by  art  to  reverence 
despots  and  evil-doers.  Their  religion  is  al- 
most as  corrupt  as  the  orgies  of  Ephesus,  and 
their  moral  corruption  similar  to  hers.  In  my 
opinion,  while  art  might  lose  something,  progress 
and  morality  would  gain  much,  if  the  next  out- 
break in  Paris  should  destroy  all  the  Papist  ora- 
torios and  all  the  public  galleries  in  the  city. 
What  is  true  of  Paris,  is  true  likewise  of  all  the 
great  cities  of  the  continent  where  the  people 
are  without  the  light  of  revelation.  Culture 
and  crime  prevail  together,  to  some  extent,  even 
in  Protestant  cities;  but  there  is  as  much  moral 
difiference  between  the  Protestant  cities  of  Phila- 
delphia, Geneva  and  Aberdeen  on  the  one  hand, 
and  Rome,  Naples,  and  New  Orleans  on  the 
other,  as  there  is  between  daylight  and  dark- 
ness. 

Intellectual  culture  without  Christian  culture, 
is  a  painted  harlot,  who  lives  in  the  night;  and, 
decorated  in  the  tinsel  of  art  and  letters,  allures 
the  weak  and  the  wicked  to  hell.  'Were  there 
no  hope  for  mankind  but  that  which  art,  letters, 
and  intellectual  culture  produces,  despotism  and 
skepticism  would  reign    over  the  earth,  and  the 


REVELATION  THE  MOTIVE-POWEE.        227 

hope  of  moral  progress,  of  human  freedom,  and 
human  happiness,  might  be  abandoned  forever. 
Men  might  be  as  cultivated  as  was  Robespierre, 
and  yet  become  as  dark-minded  and  as  desper- 
ate as  he.  They  might  be  as  polished  externally 
as  was  Webster  the  murderer  of  Dr.  Parkman, 
while  yet  internally  they  might  be  as  wicked  as 
he.  John  Newton  had  the  same  mind  and  the 
same  intellectual  culture  when  engaged  in  the 
slave-trade,  and  in  low  and  vicious  practices 
that  he  afterward  possessed  when  his  muse 
charmed  and  elevated  the  hearts  of  all  those 
who  listened  to  him. 

In  many  and  striking  forms  Christ  taught 
men  the  difference  between  intellectual  and 
Christian  culture.  The  one  without  the  other  is 
"the  wliited  sepulcher,"  "the  hidden  grave," 
the  darkness  or  "night"  of  the  soul.  The  one 
pertains  to  man's  moral  nature,  his  affections 
and  his  conscience,  the  other  to  his  intelligence. 
The  one  without  the  other  engenders  selfishness 
and  hypocrisy ;  but  intellectual  culture,  used 
and  sanctified  by  a  living  conscience  and  pure 
affections,  secures  all  human  good  to  its  posses- 
sor, and  leads  him  to  labor  for  the  good  of  the 
world.     When  the  intellect  moves  to  the  work 


228         LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE   AGE.   ■ 

of  human  elevation,  the  power  which  gives  tho 
impulse  and  secures  permanency,  is  generated 
in  the  heart  and  conscience.  Men  with  intel- 
lectual light  alone  may  make  advances  without 
moral  principles,  as  they  have  done  often  in 
France,  South  America,  and  elsewhere;  but 
without  moral  principle,  which  gospel  faith  pro- 
duces, permanent  progress  is  impossible. 

With  these  principles  and  discriminations  in 
mind,  notice  some  other  evidences  of  the  fact 
that  all  human  progress,  both  ancient  and  mod- 
ern, has  its  origin  in  the  truth  and  power  of  re- 
vealed religion ;  and  that  without  this,  the  hope 
of  reform  is  fallacious,  and  if  progress  were  at- 
tained, it  could  not  be  permanent. 

It  is  a  historical  fact  which  has  not  been  suffi- 
ciently noticed,  that  human  nature  is  always  be- 
low revelation.  This  fact  indicates  the  divine 
origin  of  revelation.  Great  discoveries  are  usu- 
ally the  product  of  preceding  ages  of  thought. 
One  mind  in  the  end  develops  the  idea;  but  it  is 
tlie  fruitage  of  the  age  ripened  in  that  particular 
mind.  A  pearl  is  found ;  but  the  location  had 
been  indicated  by  previous  researches.  But  re- 
vealed religion  is  something  different  from  this. 


REVELATION    THE    MOTIVE-POWER.        229 

It  is  separate  from  and  superior  to  tlie  tliouglit 
of  the  age.  It  calls  the  wisdom  of  the  world 
foolishness,  and  introduces  a  new  stand-point 
and  starting-point,  around  whicli  it  gathers  what 
was  valuable  in  the  old,  and  destroys  the  re- 
mainder. Hence  it  will  always  be  found  true 
that  a*struggle  is  necessary  to  bring  up  the  hu- 
man mind  and  keep  it  up  to  the  level  of  revealed 
religion,  and  that  revealed  religion  produces  that 
struggle.  The  human  mind  naturally  falls  be- 
low it;  hence  frequent  struggles  are  necessary 
to  restore  it  from  its  relapses.  Even  those  who 
profess  to  be  the  friends  of  the  dispensation,  re- 
trograde so  soon  as  its  power  is  in  any  wise 
abated ;  and  new  applications  of  the  same  power 
have  to  be  made  to  rescue  them,  and  bring  them 
up  again  nearer  to  the  requirements  of  their  dis-  • 
pensation, 

No  one  will  doubt  but  that  the  theology  of 
Moses  was  antagonistic  to  that  of  Egypt,  and  to 
that  of  all  the  nations  with  which  the  Israelites 
had  intercourse.  Its  great  aim  was  to  destroy 
idolatry,  to  remove  physical  and  moral  impuri- 
ties, and  establish  the  worship  of  one  true  God, 
Jehovah.  But  the  Jews,  although  all  their  tra- 
ditions were  in   favor  of  monotheism,    and   all 


230  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

their  experiences  such  as  were  adapted  to  drive 
them  from  idolatry,  were  constantly  falling  into 
tlie  vices  and  idolatries  of  surrounding  nations. 
Their  history  is  a  record  of  sad  departures  from 
the  purity  of  the  Mosaic  economy. 

Now,  the  question  is,  by  what  means  was  the 
advanced  system  maintained  and  reformation 
produced,  when  the  people  had  again  dropped 
down  to  their  natural  level?  We  answer,  by 
the  power  of  revealed  truth,  and  by  this  alone. 
"Whatsoever  was  reproved  in  Israel,  was  made 
manifest  by  the  light,"  and  "whatsoever  does 
make  manifest  is  light." 

Tiieir  defections  from  Monotheism  were  shown 
to  them  by  referring  them  to  the  light  of  the 
law  of  Moses.  This  alone  could  show  them  the 
evil  of  polytheism,  for  no  other  system  existed 
in  the  world  that  did  not  favor  the  evil.  The 
evil  being  revealed  by  the  law,  they  were  re- 
j)roved  out  of  the  same  law  for  departing  from 
its  requirements,  and  in  this  way  alone  reforma- 
tions were  produced.  The  instances  of  reforma- 
tion by  the  light  and  power  of  the  revealed  re- 
ligion I  need  not  to  enumerate.  The  relapses 
were  all  recovered,  and  the  nation  finally  de- 
livered from  all  disposition  to  idolatry,  by  the 
Bible,  and  by  the  providence  of  God  working  in 


REVELATION  THE  MOTIVE- POWER.         231 

harmony  witli  the  dispensation,  punishing  de- 
partures and  encouraging  reform. 

When  the  nation  was  almost  lost  in  the  sur- 
rounding darkness,  the  Reformation  under  Josiah 
was  produced  by  the  law  alone.  "The  Book" 
found,  as  Luther  found  it  afterwards  in  the  con- 
vent, was  the  light  and  power  of  the  rescue. 

In  the  later  periods  of  the  dispensation,  the 
old  prophets  stood  up  in  the  solemn  grandeur  of 
their  mission,  to  reprove  the  rulers  and  the  peo- 
ple, and  restore  them  to  obedience  to  the  law. 
The  voices  of  Jeremiah,  of  Isaiah  and  Ezekicl, 
are  heard  in  tones  of  sorrow,  instruction,  and  re- 
proof, reverberating  through  the  nation.  They 
held  aloft  the  law,  and  showed  to  the  people 
that  the  judgments  of  God  would  come,  or  had 
come,  upon  them  for  departing  from  it.  They 
gave  the  law  a  spiritual  and  practical  import,  a 
charactistic  of  the  true  preacher;  they  enforced 
it  by  the  authority  of  God;  and  spoke  almost 
with  the  tongue  of  an  evangelist  of  a  future 
Messiah.  Thus,  in  the  liglit  of  the  law  they  re- 
proved in  the  name  of  God:  and  if  reformation 
was  not  produced,  they  led  the  people  to  feel 
that  judgment  came  upon  them  for  disobedience ; 
and  thus  their  captivities  and  sufferings  tended 
tinaJly  to  cure  their  errors. 


232  LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF   THE    AGE. 

No\Y^  I  need  not  say  that  by  this  process,  and 
tliis  alone,  was  the  worship  of  one  God  at 
lengtli  established  in  the  world.  By  the  law  of 
Moses,  and  the  administration  of  reproof  by  the 
prophets,  the  thing  was  accomplished,  and  in  no 
other  way.  Thus  the  law  was  a  schoolmaster 
to  bring  us  to  Christ.  When  the  evil  of  idolatry 
was  cured,  and  ideas  of  the  Messiah  created  by 
the  Mosaic  ritual,  the  world  was  prepared  for  a 
higher  dispensation. 

One  other  topic  here  is  worthy  of  notice.  It 
is  a  part  of  the  history  of  monotheism  that  has 
not  been  sufficiently  studied.  I  allude  to  the 
history  of  the  Arabians,  as  it  connects  itself 
with  the  Old  Testament  on  the  one  side,  and 
with  Islam  ism  on  the  other.  The  Arabs  claim- 
Abraham,  the  first  reformer  of  the  world,  as 
their  father.  Ishmael  was  the  son  of  the  father 
of  the  faithful ;  but  his  son  by  a  foreign  wife ; 
yet  to  Ishmael  also  was  the  promise  given,  that 
he  should  inherit,  but  in  an  inferior  degree,  the 
blessing  of  Abraham.  Other  descendants  of 
Abraham  were  mingled  in  Idumea,  constituting 
two  lines  of  the  Abrahamic  family,  the  Arabic 
and  the  Jewish.  They  have  the  same  relation 
to  the  true  reliijion  that  the  two  sons  have  to 


EEVELATION    THE    MOTIVE-POWEE.        233 

Abraliam,  or  Esau  and  Jacob  to  Isaac.  TlirougK 
the  true  son  comes  the  true  gospel ;  the  other  is 
a  degree  removed  from  it.  But  the  fact  is,  that 
both  lines  recognize  and  worship  the  same  one 
God :  from  both  originate  the  reformers  of  idol- 
atry. The  Arabs  are  now,  in  this  respect,  about 
where  the  Jews  were  before  the  coming  of  Christ. 
They,  like  the  Jews,  have  frequently  relapsed 
into  the  idolatry  and  vices  of  surrounding  na- 
tions ;  yet  before  Mohammed  there  were  many 
reformers  who  restored  monotheism  in  some 
of  the  tribes.  But  the  points  at  which  this  his- 
tory connects  itself  with  our  subject  are,  first,  the 
Mohammedans  are  monotheists ;  second,  they 
Avorship  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Abraham  and 
Hoses;  third,  mark  it,  this  reformation  of  the 
Arabian  tribes,  which  restored  the  worsliip  of 
of  the  one  God,  was  efi'ected  by  Mohammed 
through  the  light  and  power  of  the  patriarchal 
and  Mosaic  dispensations.  The  truth  which  tlie 
prophet  uses  to  kill  idolatry  is  drawn  from  the 
history  of  Abraham  and  the  precepts  of  Moses. 
The  14th  chapter  of  the  Koran  is  entitled 
'"Abraham."  The  patriarch  is  introduced  as 
praying  for  the  suppression  of  idolatry — "Keep 
me  and  my  children  from  the  worship  of  ido^s; 


234  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

tliey  have  seduced  part  of  the  people."  The 
authority  of  Moses  is  likewise  recognized,  and 
he  is  frequently  introduced  as  denouncing  idola- 
try and  commanding  the  worship  of  Jehovah. 

Thus,  the  evidence  is  palpable  and  incontro- 
vertible, that  the  worship  of  one  God  revealed 
in  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures,  has  been  the 
reforming  power  of  the  whole  world,  so  far  as 
man  is  rescued  from  idolatry.  The  two  branches 
of  the  Abrahamic  family  have  done  the  work. 
Mohammedans  are  now,  in  this  one  respect, 
where  the  Jews  were  before  Christ,  and  where 
the  unbelieving  Jews  are  still.  All  that  they 
have  in  advance  of  heathen  polytheism  is  by 
the  revealed  religion  of  the  Old  Testament,  and 
tlie  authority  of  Jehovah  as  therein  revealed. 
All  tliat  we  have  in  advance  of  them  starts 
from  this  point.  This  brings  us  to  the  gospel 
dispensation,  the  "  true  light  that  now  shineth." 

The  prophets  of  the  old  dispensation,  as  we 
have  noticed,  had  foretold  the  sevenfold  light  of 
the  Messianic  age.  The  last  prophetic  utterance 
Mai.  3 :  1-4,  announces  that  Christ  would  send 
his  messenger,  John  Baptist,  before  him;  that 
he  would  suddenly  come  in  his  temple ;  but  that 
his  dis^Densation  would  be  "as  a  refiner's  fire,"  a 


REVELATION    THE    MOTIVE-POWER.        235 

moral  power,  purifying  the  world  and  the  church. 

John  Baptist  came,  and  affirming  that  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  was  at  hand,  he  called  the 
nation  to  repentance ;  thus  practically  promul- 
gating the  truth  that  reformation  was  necessary 
in  order  to  enter  the  Messiah's  kingdom.  This 
was  the  burden  of  his  baptism,  "The  axe  is  laid 
at  the  root  of  the  tree."  The  separating  fan  is 
in  the  hand  of  the  Messiah.  He  will  separate 
the  chaff  from  the  wheat,  gather  the  wheat  into 
his  garner,  and  burn  the  chaff  with  unquencha- 
ble fire. 

Jesus  came,  preaching  reformation  and  a 
higher  life.  He  denounced  the  traditions  of  the 
Jewish  teachers.  He  selected  men  without  lit- 
erary or  philosophical  attainment.  He  imbued 
them  with  a  new  spirit,  and  with  power  from  on 
high ;  and  commissioned  them  to  revolutionize 
all  forms  of  power  in  church  and  state;  promis- 
ing divine  aid  and  supervision  until  the  work 
should  be  accomplished. 

You  know  the  result.  You  know  the  strug- 
gle and  the  success  of  the  truth  in  the  apostolic 
age.  As  it  was  in  Epiiesus,  so  it  was  in  other 
cities.  When  Jesus  died,  the  old  world  had  its 
greatest  intellectual  light,  and  its  greatest  mond 


236  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF   THE    AGE. 

darkness.  The  truth  and  power  of  the  gospel 
was  a  purifying  element,  reforming  and  elevat- 
ing out  of  the  mass  of  corruption  a  large  com- 
pany of  the  men  and  women  of  that  age. 

In  establishing  a  new  system,  with  new 
])0wers  and  principles,  the  agency  of  the  Divine 
Author  must  be  interposed,  of  course ;  just  as 
every  new  geological  advance  requires  divine  in- 
terposition. But  as  human  nature  is  always  be 
low  the  revealed  religion  which  is  designed  to 
reform  and  elevate  it,  the  corrupt  age,  and  the 
dark  ages  which  followed,  were  a  natural  se- 
cjuence.  The  last  of  the  apostles  was  not  in  his 
grave,  and  the  visible  power  which  established 
the  New  Testament  had  scarcely  subsided,  be- 
fore humanity  lapsed  into  error.  To  the  liglib 
of  the  apostolic  age  there  succeeded  clouds,  dark- 
ened by  depravity  and  tinged  by  superstition. 
When  earthly  power  could  not  subdue  the 
church,  it  allied  itself  with  her,  and  thus  cor- 
rupted her  truth.  This  adulterous  union  of 
church  and  state  is  the  great  dragon  on  the  Con- 
tinent, and  the  little  dragon  in  England,  Rev. 
12,  et  seq.,  and  from  the  period  of  the  adulter- 
ous union  between  church  and  state  the  light  of 
ti'uth  waned  into  the  total  eclipse  of  the  dark 
ages — ages  without  a  Bible. 


REVELATION  THE  MOTIVE-POWER.         237 

But  out  of  the  darkness  a  light  sprung  up 
which  has  shone  more  and  more  down  to  our 
day.  Now,  our  last  inquiry  is,  has  revealed 
religion  been  the  source  and  the  power  of  refor- 
mation and  moral  progress  in  the  world,  under 
the  Christian  dispensation,  and  from  the  dark 
ages  until  now? 

We  need  not  inquire  concerning  the  causes 
which  immediately  introduced  the  dark  ages. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  that  during  the  period  from  the 
sixth  to  the  fifteenth  century,  the  light  of  reve- 
lation was  vailed.  The  Scriptures  were  no  longer 
in  the  vernacular  tongue  of  the  people.  Both 
church  and  state  were  without  a  Bible.  The 
dawn  of  reformation  begins  with  Wickliffe  and 
Huss.  Their  translations  and  preaching  ante- 
date the  art  of  printing,  and  the  other  great  in- 
ventions of  the  fifteenth  century.  The  art  of 
printing  no  doubt  greatly  aided  the  Reforma- 
tion ;  but  printing  has  in  itself  no  reformatory 
moral  power.  Whether  it  advances  or  retards 
the  civil  and  moral  progress  of  men,  depends  on 
the  things  printed.  The  enemies  of  the  Refor- 
mation used  the  press  as  freely  as  the  reformers. 
The  press  infected  the  continent  with  atheism 
in  the  days  of  Voltaire,  and  the  press  strength- 


238  LTVTNG    QUESTIONS    OF   THE    AGE. 

ened  the  power  of  despotism  under  Robespierre. 
Tlie  press  can  do  no  more  than  disseminate  the 
thought  of  the  age,  whether  that  be  bad  or  good. 
Truth  is  stronger  than  error;  hence  the  press  is 
an  auxihary  in  the  world's  enHghtenment.  But 
hght  without  moral  principle  has  no  real  reform- 
atory power.  It  does  not  create  conscience,  and 
hence  wants  the  element  of  permanent  moral 
progress. 

Luther  is  identified  as  the  man  of  the  Refor- 
mation. Whence  did  Luther  draw  his  power? 
A  benighted  monk,  he  found  a  copy  of  the  Bi- 
ble in  the  convent  of  Erfurth,  as  Josiah  did  in 
the  temple  of  old.  The  Bible  enlightened  Luther. 
He  translated  it  into  the  vernacular  tongue  of 
his  country,  and  it  enlightened  the  people. 
Every  shaft  that  the  reformers  hurled  at  the 
Papal  demon  was  drawn  from  the  Bible.  Nine 
tenths  of  the  literature  of  the  Reformation  was 
biblical.  That  the  Bible  made  the  reformers  is 
as  true  as  that  the  reformers  produced  the  Re- 
formation by  the  same  means.  About  the  facts 
in  tlie  case  there  can  be  no  controversy.  The 
dark  ages  were  dissipated,  and  the  Reformation 
accomplished  by  the  light  and  power  of  revealed 
religion. 


EEVELATION    THE    MOTIVE-POWER.        239 

You  liave,  no  doubt,  read  the  recently  pub- 
lished history  of  the  Dutch  Republic,  by  Mot- 
ley. If  you  have  not,  get  it  at  once.  It  will 
give  you  the  detailed  statement  of  the  struggle 
between  the  Bible  power  and  the  Papal  devil  in 
the  Netherlands,  a  struggle,  the  successful  issue 
of  which  placed  Holland  in  the  forefront  of  the 
civilization  of  the  age,  furnished  an  asylum  for 
tlie  persecuted  in  other  nations,  and  developed  a 
degree  of  moral  progress  greatly  in  advance  of 
the  times.  That  the  Bible  power  achieved  this 
moral  victory  for  humanity,  freedom,  and  reli- 
gion, can  not  be  questioned. 

It  is  conceded  that  the  basis  for  the  Reforma- 
tion in  England  was  laid  by  Tindall's  transla- 
tion. Besides  this,  during  the  struggle  in  the 
Netherlands,  multitudes  of  the  persecuted  fled 
to  England,  and  carried  the  seeds  of  Bible  truth 
with  them  across  ths  Channel.  Thus  was  be- 
gun the  progress  that  was  rendered  permanent 
by  the  translation  under  King  James. 

Another  stage  of  progress  in  civil  and  reli- 
gious freedom  was  initiated  by  the  Puritans.  To 
them  it  is  conceded,  even  by  Macaulay,  that 
England  owes  all  that  places  her  in  advance  oi 
other  nations  of  Europe.       To  the  Puritans,  Qua- 


240  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

kers,  and  especially  to  tiie  Baptists  we  owe  all 
of  religious  liberty  that  we  possess  in  America. 
And  yet  who  dare  deny  that  all  these  stages  of 
progress  were  gained  by  the  Bible  power?  Tlie 
questions  of  those  ages  of  progress  were  Bible 
questions.  Tlie  conscience  that  strengthened 
true  moral  heroes  to  endure  and  to  trium|)h 
was  Bible-made  conscience.  The  issues  between 
them  and  their  opponents  were  Bible  issues. 
Luther's  moving  issue  was  justification  by  faith 
against  the  Papist  error  of  justification  by  pen- 
ance and  indulgences.  The  Dutch  and  the 
Scotch  fought  against  the  powers  of  darkness, 
and  triumphed  under  the  same  banner.  The 
Puritans  inscribed  on  their  banner  "Bible  faith 
and  practice  against  forms."  The  pure  Bible 
was  their  watchword.  Wesley's  Reformation 
was  purely  religious,  but,  like  preceding  ad- 
vances, it  was  founded  on  Bible  principle,  ex- 
perience against  profession.  So  the  principle  of 
Penn  was  non-conformity  to  the  world,  against 
a  worldly  church.  But  more  than  all,  it  was 
Bible  faith  which  gave  strength  of  heart  and 
conscience  and  will  to  all  these  reformers;  so 
that  they  braved  dangers,  suffered  persecutions, 
subdued  the  wilderness,  and    achieved    all    the 


EEVELATION    THE    MOTIVE-POWER.        241 

civil  and  religious  progress  which  the  world  pos- 
sesses. 

This  historic  analysis  might  be  run  through 
all  the  details  of  human  progress.  .So  far  as 
the  human  family  has  advanced  in  moral  culture, 
with  its  concomitant  blessings  of  civil  liberty 
and  social  comfort,  that  advance  has  been 
achieved,  even  in  limited  localities,  by  Bible 
light  and  power. 

Take  an  epitome  of  instances  and  illustrations. 
In  my  school-days  we  had  a  map  in  our  geog- 
raphies which  gave  us  an  apprehension  of  the 
degree  of  civilization  existing  in  different  coun- 
tries of  the  globe.  Those  regions  whicn  were 
the  most  advanced  in  civil  and  moral  culture, 
were  light;  the  utterly  pagan  regions  were  black; 
those  regions  partially  civilized  were  partially 
radiated.  Now,  upon  that  map,  which  I  took 
pains  to  inquire  for  and  examine  very  recently, 
the  degree  of  national  enlightenment  corresponds 
precisely  with  the  amount  of  Bible  knowledge 
prevalent  among  the  people.  There  is  no  ex- 
ception to  this.  It  is  universal  over  the  whole 
earth.  The  Bible  is  the  light  and  life  of  the 
moral  world,  just  as  distinctly  as  the  sun  is  the 
light  and  life  of  the  physical  world. 
16 


242  LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF   THE   Av3E, 

The  local  illustrations  of  this  fact  are  striking. 

I  have  had  the  privilego,  in  various  portions  ol 
the  old  and  new  world,  of  noticing  evidences 
that  have  left  lasting  impressions  on   my  heart. 

Various  states  of  Germany  contain  a  mixed 
population,  some  Protestant,  some  Papal  inhabit- 
ants. Now,  just  in  proportion  to  the  Protes- 
tant element  does  moral  progress  and  civil  liber- 
ty exist.  Take  Belgium  as  the  starting-point. 
Travel  up  the  Rhine  and  through  the  German 
states  toward  Rome,  and  the  amount  of  progress 
can  be  gaged  accurately  by  the  amount  of  Bible 
knowledge  among  the  people.  As  you  approach 
Rome,  the  seat  of  Papal  power  and  superstition, 
the  darkness  can  be  felt.  There  the  Bible  is 
totally  withheld  from  the  masses,  and  the  des- 
potism of  the  rulers,  and  the  degradation  of  the 
people,  and  the  superstition  of  the  whole,  are 
almost  equal  to  that  of  Central  Asia;  while  vice 
and  crime  are  more  prevalent  than  they  are  in 
Central  Africa. 

Pass  with  me,  now,  through  Scotland  and 
Ireland.  Scotland  has  one  curse  in  common 
with  Ireland,  the  habit  of  using  ardent  spirits 
prevalent  among  all  classes.  But  apart  from 
this,  the  peasantry  are  equal  to  any  in  Europe. 


REVELATION  THE  MOTIVE-POWEK.        243 

In  the  cities  of  Edinburg  and  Glasgow  there  is 
a  degree  of  poverty  and  vice  in  some  of  the 
poorer  streets,  as  in  High  and  Cowgate  streets, 
Edinburgh  which  is  revolting.  I  saw  nothing 
like  it  in  Aberdeen.  On  inquiring  of  an  intelli- 
gent gentleman  the  reasons  of  the  phenomenon, 
he  said  most  of  the  mass  of  depravity  accumu- 
lated in  these  pens  was  made  up  of  Irish  Catho- 
lics and  similar  elements;  and  that  scarcely  any 
of  it  originated  with  the  Bible-reading  popula- 
tion of  the  country. 

Pass  from  Glasgow  to  Belfast,  in  Ireland; 
and  from  Belfast  through  Dublin  to  the  south 
of  the  island.  In  this  journey,  as  you  leave  the 
Bible-reading  north,  and  pass  to  the  Catholic 
south,  you  pass  from  light  and  morals  into  the 
heart  of  one  of  the  most  degraded  and  supersti- 
tious regions  that  there  is  in  Europe.  Perhaps, 
after  the  masses  of  Rome  and  Naples,  there  is 
none  more  so  in  Christendom.  The  emigration 
of  this  ignorant  and  superstitious  popula- 
tion to  American  cities,  brings  a  curse  with  it. 
"Democratic  mobs"  are  often  referred  to  in  Eu- 
rope. The  accusers  do  not  know  that  the  mobs 
are  composed  of  the  Catholic  masses,  from  their 
own  country,  and  that  intemperance  here  is 
mostly,  cause  and  curse  of  foreign  origin. 


244  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

Now,  let  US  look  a  moment,  over  the  differ- 
ent sections  of  our  own  country,  and  it 
will  be  seen  that  the  most  intelligent  and  mor- 
al population  of  the  world,  take  them  en  masse, 
is  in  that  portion  of  the  Union  where  the  peo- 
ple are  most  generally  instructed  in  Bible 
principles,  and  precepts;  while  in  other  sections  of 
our  land  vice  and  ignorance  prevail  just  in  pro- 
portion as  the  people  are  deprived  of  the  Bible ; 
or  in  proportion  as  they  suppress  Bible  truth  in 
professedly  Christian  churches.  In  the  one  sec- 
tion principles  and  practices  are  maintained  that 
would  have  appalled  the  men  of  the  same  sec- 
tion twenty  years  ago.  In  the  other,  it  is  hoped 
the  light  is  advancing. 

It  is  likewise  true  that  all  the  moral  reforms 
for  which  our  land  is  distinguished,  so  far  as 
they  have  succeeded,  have  been  initiated  imd 
advanced  by  the  Bible  light  and  power  in  the 
hearts  and  consciences  of  reformers.  The  tem- 
perance movement  began  in  the  church;  and 
the  process  of  enlightenment  was  carried  for- 
ward almost  exclusively  by  Christians.  Search 
the  record,  and  you  will  find  that  the  impulse 
and  the  direction  were  both  given  by  Bible 
readers.      I  know  the  final  appeal  has  been  to 


EEVELATION    THE    MOTIVE-POWEE.        245 

legislation ;  but  legislation  can  do  nothing  until 
sufficient  light  is  disseminated  and  sufficient  con- 
science produced  in  relation  to  the  evil  to  he  re- 
formed. Our  legislation,  in  some  States,  has 
gone  in  advance  of  the  moral  sentiment  of  the 
masses,  and  reaction  has  ensued;  and  the  reform 
will  never  become  prevalent  until  the  light  and 
moral  power  of  the  Bible  produce  sufficient  con- 
science to  sustain  it.  There  only  is  the  moral 
principle  that  creates  perseverance,  there  the  be- 
nevolence that  prompts  to  persistent  self-denial 
for  human  good. 

So  in  relation  to  the  anti-slavery  reform.  In 
England,  the  Christian  sentiment  of  the  nation 
began,  carried  forward,  and  consummated  the 
work  of  emancipation.  In  this  country,  the 
first  fifteen  years  were  spent  entirely  in  moral 
endeavor  by  Bible  men.  It  is  true  that  a  large 
portion  of  the  churches  withheld  their  influence, 
especially  those  churches  rendered  conservative 
by  wealth,  or  connection  with  the  sin;  but  after 
all,  it  is  true  that  in  every  region  of  the .  free 
States  where  the  reform  was  urged  persevering- 
ly,  and  one  advance  after  another  secured,  in 
every  such  instance,  it  will  be  found  that  the 
Bible  power  was  the  impulse,  and  Christians  the 


246  LIVING    QUESTIONS   OF   THE    AGE. 

agents  in  the  work.  Mr.  Garrison  was  a  true  and 
praiseworthy  reformer,  but  the  claim  either  that 
he  originated  the  movement  or  announced  the 
principle  of  immediate  emancipation  is  not 
true.  Rev.  John  Rankin  in  his  letters  on  Sla- 
very; and  before  him  Rev,  Mr.  Thomas,  of 
Southern  Ohio,  had  proclaimed,  on  Scripture 
principles,  the  duty  of  emancipation. 

Mr.  Garrison,  in  that  spirit  which  always 
characterizes  the  best  minds,  acknowledged  in  a 
convention  assembled  at  Cincinnati,  in  the  pre- 
sence of  Mr.  Rankin  and  the  assembled  audi- 
ence, his  indebtedness  to  that  gentleman  for 
principle  and  impulse  in  the  anti-slavery  cause; 
this  statement  he  subsequently  inscribed  in  a 
volume  which  he  presented  to  the  aged  veteran. 

The  paper  published  by  Mr.  Garrison  had  a 
very  limited  circulation,  and  that  mostly  among 
those  who  needed  no  conviction  of  the  evil  of 
slavery.  Its  influence  was  but  little  in  the 
country.  The  West,  including  New  York  had 
anti-slavery  societies  in  all  the  States,  and  in 
many  counties  and  churches.  There  were,  both 
at  the  East  and  West,  hundreds  of  lecturers,  and 
tens  of  thousands  of  publications.  Mr.  Garri- 
son's name  was  prominent  and   he  was  popular 


REVELATION   THE    MOTIVE-POWER."      247 

with  a  clique,  but  he  was  not  an  accepted  writer 
with  one  in  one  hundred  of  the  anti-slavery 
men  of  America.  There  were  parties  who  claimed 
to  be  anti-slavery  men,  par  excellence,  of  whom 
this  could  not  be  said;  but  these  were  self-elated 
and  impracticable  parties,  united  by  idiosyncras- 
fiies,  and  utterly  infeasible  in  their  aims,  as  they 
were  uncharitable  in  their  spirit.  Their  influ- 
ence in  some  cases  hindered  rather  than  helped 
the  cause  of  liberty. 

But,  enough,  The  idea  that  human  progress 
can  be  achieved  without  the  Bible  is  a  fallacy, 
branded  as  such  both  by  the  principles  develop- 
ed in  the  preceding  chapter,  and  by  the  historical 
statements  and  illustrations  of  the  present  one. 
The  truth  of  this  is  verified  by  the  facts  of  his- 
tory. Revealed  religion  is  the  Alpha  and  the 
Omega  of  human  progress. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

EEFOKMERS    AND    THEIR    RELATION    TO     CHRISTI- 
ANITY. 

We  have  heretofore  had  occasion  to  speak  of 
Keformers,  and  the  value  of  their  labors.  We 
would  now  present  in  a  more  extended  form 
what  we  believe  to  be  the  true  value  of  reform 
efforts,  and  their  relation  to  the  gospel  of  Christ. 
Society,  we  are  sure,  can  be  advanced  to  its  best 
condition  only  by  Christianity,  and  reforms  can 
achieve  abiding  good  only  through  the  principles 
and  faith  of  the  gospel.  Many  reformers  seem 
not  to  know  it,  but  it  is  true  nevertheless,  that 
the  principles  of  Christianity,  give  impulse  and 
guidance  to  every  advance  in  the  moral  progress 
of  the  world. 

Seneca  and  Plato  who  represent  the   highest 

248 


REFORMERS. 


249 


moral  attainment,  apart  from  revealed  religion, 
Bay  nothing  about  the  intrinsic  selfishness  of  hv- 
ing  for  the  good  of  the  individual  or  class,  and 
not  for  the  good  of  man,  in  proportion  to  his 
need.  They  do  not  announce  the  principles  of 
fraternity  and  equality.  They  do  not  require 
those  who  have  means,  light,  liberty,  to  make 
self  denials  to  confer  the  advantages  they  possess 
upon  those  deprived  of  them.  They  did  not  pro- 
claim as  a  truth,  requiring  practical  recognition, 
the  Fatherhood  of  God,  and  the  brotherhood  of 
men.  They  do  not  say  'love  your  enemies,'  'God 
is  love;  and  he  that  loveth  is  born  of  God.' 
And  yet,  these  very  principles,  which  are  found 
in  the  people,  and  no  where  else,  are  the  life  of 
all  true  reforms  and  witliout  their  application 
the  removal  of  social  and  moral  evils  is  impos- 
sible. 

But  a  knowledge  of  right  principles  is  not  all 
that  is  necessary.  What  the  world  needs  is  an 
increase  of  benevolence,  something  that  tends 
to  destroy  selfishness,  and  lead  one  man  to  labor 
for  another's  good.  Knowledge  of  the  right  is 
needful,  but  it  is  not  the  one  thing  needful  in  re- 
moving evil  from  the  world.  We  want  some- 
thing  within,  that  empowers  conscience  and  act- 


250  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

uates  the  will  in  accordance  with  our  conviction 
of  right.  Mere  conviction  of  right,  without 
love  for  man,  can  be  bribed,  whether  within  the 
church  or  without.  Wendell  Phillips,  if  he  had 
been  born  at  the  south,  might  have  been  the 
duplicate  of  Foote  of  Mississippi.  His  natural 
characteristics  are  more  like  the  ex-senator 
than  like  those  of  any  other  man  in  the  land. 
To  recognize  the  principles  of  reform  in  the  gos- 
pel, or  even  to  have  them  transferred  to  the  in- 
tellect, is  not  all  that  is  needed.  Man  wants 
the  impulse  of  the  conscience  and  heart,  in  con- 
nection with  the  conviction  of  right. 

Now  a  selfish  mind  becomes  benevolent  only 
by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ:  a  true  faith  in  this  di- 
vine manifestation  of  God,  awakens  all  the  mor- 
al powers  of  the  believer  and  prompts  him  to 
live  for  the  good  of  man,  as  did  the  Redeemer. 
It  imparts  not  only  the  purpose,  but  likewise 
tlie  power  to  conform  to  the  accepted  principle. 
Thus  the  gospel  reveals  the  principles  of  reform, 
and  imparts  the  disposition  to  obedience.  There 
are  advocates  of  right  that  do  not  confess  the 
one,  nor  possess  the  other.  But  without  vitaliz- 
ing faith,  reform  will  be  a  mere  struggle  of  na- 
tural   benevolence,    against   the   predominating 


REFORMERS.  251 

follies  and  wrongs  of  society.  The  struggle  will 
promote  self-righteousness  in  the  reformer,  and 
increase  malignity  in  the  evil  doer.  Those  who 
advocate  truth  without  love,  may  create  con- 
science even  in  those  who  resist,  and  do  good  in 
that  way ;  but  the  sublime,  the  Christ-like  in 
reform,  unites  truth  and  love  as  motive  and 
means  to  remove  from  the  world  whatever  in- 
jures man. 

All  efforts  for  reform  of  evils,  or  for  moral 
progress  in  the  world,  brings  out  men  into  three 
relations  in  connection  with  the  movement. 
The  Conservatives,  the  Reformers  and  the  Radi- 
cals. John  Baptist  was  a  Radical,  Jesus  was  a 
Reformer.  The  Scribes  and  Pharisees  were 
Conservatives.  Every  reform  has  its  John  Bap- 
tists; men  who  go  before  and  awaken  the  people 
to  discussion  and  action.  The  Reformers  follow 
the  Radicals.  The  conservatives  resist  his  ap- 
peal and  his  principles.  These  John  Baptists, 
like  their  great  prototype,  are  jjsually  born  to 
their  vocation.  It  is  in  their  nature.  It  is 
sometimes  their  jeligion.  In  diet  and  in  cloth- 
ing, agaiixSt  evil  habits,  and  evil  usages,  as  the 
original  Baptizer,  they  lift  up  their  voice  like  a 
trumpet,  and  summon  men  to  repent  and  pie- 
pare  the  way  for  a  better  future. 


252  LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF   THE   AGE. 

Among  the  radical  class,  tliere  always  liave 
been,  and  there  always  will  be  ultra  and  unwise 
men,  who  do  injury  by  leading  those  who  sym- 
pathize with  them  to  extreme  and  impracticable 
efforts.  Such  men  arrested  the  progress  of  the 
Lutheran  Reformation  by  urging  extreme  and 
disorganizing  views  of  civil  and  religious  doctrine. 
In  efforts  to  abate  the  evil  of  absurd  fashions 
which  deform  the  person,  pervert  the  taste,  and 
destroy  health,  they  often  go  to  the  opposite  ex- 
treme, and  lose  all  proper  apprehension  of  the 
proprieties  of  sex,  both  in  regard  to  clothing  and 
occupation. 

In  dietetics  they  do  not  discriminate  between 
what  is  proper  for  an  invalid,  and  what  is  pro- 
per for  a  person  in  good  health.  An  arm,  the 
muscles  of  which  had  been  injured  by  over-labor, 
or  in  any  other  way,  would  give  constant  pain, 
and  be  permanently  debilitated,  by  wielding 
daily  a  five  pound  hammer;  while  the  same  ex- 
ercise would  not  only  be  salutary,  but  necessrjy 
to  the  growth  and  development  of  a  healthy  arm. 
The  same  principle  obtains  in  regard  to  the 
stomach,  and  all  the  functions  of  the  human 
body.  The  amount,  variety,  and  kind  of  healthy 
food,  ought  to  be  taken  in  view  of  health,  labor 
and  climate. 


EEFORMERS.  253 

So  the  Fourier  mania,  a  few  years  since,  came 
in  with  its  impracticable  theories,  to  arrest  the 
efforts  of  those  who  would  have  aided  labor 
in  its  struggle  against  the  extortions  of  capital. 

So  the  Quakers  broke  their  own  power,  al- 
though they  were  among  the  best  class  of  Re- 
formers that  have  ever  appeared  in  the  world. 
They  maintained  many  truths  in  regard  to  the 
Spirit,  and  against  the  empty  forms  of  religion, 
but  they  marred  their  movement  by  opposition 
to  all  music,  to  all  variety  in  dress,  and  to  all 
amusements. 

Thus  v^ile  extreme  conservatism  selfishly  re- 
sists moral  progress  and  spiritual  religion,  ex- 
treme radicalism,  often  discourages  Reformers, 
who  are  aiming  to  accomplish  good  objects,  and 
deforms  the  reform  they  would  promote  by  a 
wrong  spirit  and  extreme  action. 

The  fact  that  the  conservatives  resist  or  dis- 
courage all  reforms  in  the  beginning,  does  not 
prove  that  all  new  things,  or  all  extreme  views 
are  either  desirable  or  practicable.-  But  shall 
philanthropists  cease  action  because  others  act 
unwisely?  The  Christian  is  called  by  the  voice 
of  God,  and  the  sanctified  reason  within  him,  to 
oppose    whatever    injures    man    temporally   or 


25i  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

spiritually.  A  father  from  the  very  nature  of 
liis  regard  for  his  son,  can  not  care  for  him  in 
one  respect,  and  have  no  regard  for  him  in  an- 
other. He  can  not  save  him  from  slavery,  and 
yet  not  desire  to  save  him  from  intemperance. 
The  Christian,  who  is  like  Christ,  will  endeavoi 
to  save  man  from  all  evils  that  injure  his  body 
or  his  soul;  and  he  will  labor  to  promote  "the 
beautiful  the  true  and  the  good"  among  men, 
both  in  temperance  and  in  spiritual  things. 
Standing  then  between  the  extremes  of  non-ac- 
tion and  of  ultra  action  in  regard  to  alleged  evils, 
what  is  right  and  wrong  in  regard  tcj,  some  ol 
the  living  reform  questions  of  the  times  ? 


CHAPTER  XV. 

woman's  eights,  woman's  suffeaqe. 

The  discussions  concerning  tlie  position  and 
privileges  of  woman,  should  not  be  ignored,  be- 
cause there  are  those  who,  in  the  name  of  "wo- 
man's rights,"  seek  unwise  or  impracticable 
ends.  • 

The  parental  and  marital  rights  of  women 
should  be  protected  by  proper  legislation,  where 
such  rights  are  not  now  fully  protected.  Wages 
should  be  granted  to  all  sexes  and  ages,  in  pro- 
portion to  the  value  of  the  service  rendered,  and 
to  women,  in  some  cases,  beyond  the  service 
rendered.  Opportunity  should  be  granted  to  all 
to  engage  in  professions  and  employments  not 
inconsistent  with  sex,  and  the  relations  of  indi- 
viduals to  society.  But  there  are  difficulties  in 
adjusting  even  these  proper   claims  of  women; 


256  LIVING   QUESTIONS   OF   THE    AGE. 

and  there  are  claims  raade  for  women  as  riglits, 
which,  beyond  question,  would  work  great  wrong 
if  they  were  achieved. 

As  in  all  other  cases,  the  advocates  of  wo- 
man's rights,  both  wise  and  unwise,  set  out  with 
the  plea  that  all  reforms  are  resisted  in  the  be- 
ginning; hence  a  good  plea  is  made  a  reason 
with  some  for  urging  reform  into  deformity. 
Others  claim,  in  the  name  of  advancing  civiliza- 
tion, acceptance  for  schemes  that  would  retard 
progress,  and  react  upon  those  who  are  making 
wise  efforts  for  the  good  of  women,  as  the 
weaker,  and  hence,  in  some  respects,  the  worthier 
division  of  the  race. 

The  introductory  dispensation  of  Moses,  al- 
though "it  made  nothing  perfect,"  recognized, 
in  various  ways,  the  natural  and  social  province 
of  the  sexes.  Those  of  one  sex  who  wore  the 
apparel  of  the  other,  were  declared  to  be  "an 
abomination  unto  the  Lord."  The  New  Dis- 
pensation not  only  emancipated  woman  from  the 
imperfect  divorce  laws  to  which  she  was  previ- 
ously subjected,  but  in  spiritual  benefits  she  be- 
came the  peer  of  man.  "In  Christ  Jesus  there 
is  neither  Jew  nor  Gentile,  bond  nor  free,  male 
nor  female."     The  freedom  of  association  in  re- 


WOMAN  S    EIGHTS. 


257 


ligious  service  is  attested,  not  only  by  tlie  pre- 
sence of  women,  but  by  the  voice  of  woncien  m 
the  devotions  of  the  early  churches.  But  while 
this  freedom  and  elevation  of  women  is  achieved 
by  the  Gospel,  there  is  that  care  which  character- 
izes the  work  of  God,  both  in  nature  and  grace, 
that  the  modesty  of  nature,  and  the  dependence 
of  the  sexes,  should  not  be  violated. 

Woman  is  assigned  her  proper  place,  both  in 
devotion  and  service,  as  in  the  case  of  Phoebe, 
the  deaconess ;  but  the  propagation  of  the  Gos- 
pel and  the  public  service  of  the  churches  were 
exclusively  intrusted  to  men.  Jesus  sent  no 
women  with  the  Seventy,  or  with  the  Twelve, 
to  teach  in  the  synagogues,  or  preach  to  the  na- 
tions. The  Apostles  ordained  no  women.  No 
women  were  endowed  by  the  Spirit  to  be  pastors, 
teachers,  or  evangelists.  These  facts  should 
settle  the  question  on  the  subjects  to  which  they 
relate.  Some  women  prophesied,  but  prophecy 
evidently  was  understood  to  be  a  special  spirit- 
ual communication,  not  a  stated,  or  regular  ser- 
vice. Women,  well  instructed  in  the  truth, 
taught  the  younger  women  at  home ;  and  the 
children  and  youth  of  both  sexes  were  instructed 
by  them ;  but  they  were  inhibited  from  public 
17 


258  LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF   THE    AGE. 

disputation,  and  from  teaching  in  public  assem- 
blies. 

Women  prayed  occasionally  in  the  social  as- 
semblages of  the  primitive  church;  but  they 
were  forbidden  to  pray  without  being  veiled; 
the  veil  being  the  badge  of  sex  in  the  apostolic 
age.  Badges  change,  but  the  principle  does  not. 
And  women  should  never  disregard  the  proprie- 
ties of  sex  in  the  worship  of  God,  who  created 
man  male  and  female.  Unity  of  spirit  in  wor- 
ship, does  not  annul  natural  laws  and  proprie- 
ties. The  utterances  of  prayer  and  experience 
in  devotional  meetings,  by  pious  women,  often 
do  good;  but  posture,  gesture,  and  declamation 
in  promiscuous  assemblies,  is  uncomely  and  un- 
scriptural;  and  while  good  women  engage  in  the 
one,  natural  modesty,  and  religious  meekness, 
will  prompt  them  to  avoid  the  other.* 

It  is  noticeable,  that  in  the  parables  of  Christ, 

*  A  female  writer,  wlio  has  done  much  good  by  a  devout  life 
and  labor,  in  order  to  support  a  theory  that  hinders,  rather  than 
furthers,  her  work,  has  misconstrued  the  Scriptures  in  regard  to 
woman's  position  as  a  teaclier.  She  argues  that  the  Holy  Spirit, 
upon  the  day  of  Pentecost,  fell  in  miraculous  tongues  upon  wo- 
men, as  upon  men.  Nothing  can  be  more  obvious  than  the  fallacy 
of  this  teaching.  It  is  not  possible  for  an  unbiased  mind  to  read 
the  second  chapter  of  the  Acts,  and  err  on  this  subject  The 
miracle  took  place  in  a  public  assemblage,  probably  in  a  court  of 
the  temple,  where  no  women  vvero  over  present. 


woman's  rights.  259 

where  women  are  introduced  as  laborers  in  con- 
nection with  Gospel  progress,  home  duties  are 
selected  as  illustrating  their  province  and  their 
work.  One  puts  leaven  in  three  measures  of 
meal ;  illustrating  the  impartation  of  Gospel  in- 
struction and  life  to  the  household,  by  those  in 
cliarge  of  a  family.  Another  sweeps  the  house, 
until  she  finds  the  lost  piece  of  money ;  that  is, 
she  seeks  by  purity  of  home  life  and  teaching, 
the  salvation  of  a  child  yet  unregenerate.  The 
sliepherd  wlio  has  lost  a  sheep  goes  abroad  to 
find  it.  The  woman  who  has  lost  a  piece  of 
money  seeks  for  it  in  the  house.  The  aim  is 
the  same,  the  province  is  different.  What  did 
Jesus  mean  by  teaching  the  same  thing  in  two 
different  parables,  the  only  difference  being  the 
different  provinces  of  the  sexes  ?  Home  labor 
is  for  woman,  public  labor  is  for  man. 

There  are  some  natural  laws  and  moral  prin- 
ciples that  may  be  safely  trusted,  as  a  general 
guide  in  settling  the  question  of  woman's  pro- 
vince in  the  social  and  political  world. 

The  physical  differences  in  the  constitution  of 
the  sexes  cannot  be  violated,  without  injury  to 
the  violator,  and  wrong  on  the  part  of  those 
who  urge  the  violation.      Woman  is  physically 


260  LIVING    QUESTIONS   OF   THE    AGE. 

the  weaker  sex.  Women  who  labor  in  the  open 
air,  are  more  robust  than  those  who  Hve  mostly 
in  the  shade;  but  they  are  not  nearly  so  strong 
as  men  who  engage  in  the  same  labor,  under 
the  same  circumstances.  They  have  not  strength 
to  do,  or  endure,  what  men  can  easily  accomplish. 
In  some  cases  the  labor  would  kill  the  one,  that 
only  gives  proper  development  to  the  other. 
Hence,  in  the  nature  of  things,  the  province  of 
woman's  labor  must  always  be  different  from 
that  of  man's  labor.  When  this  law  is  violated, 
women  become  coarse,  and  lose  the  feminine 
graces  both  of  form  and  of  mind;  while  men,  by 
the  same  labor,  attain  a  robustness  that  is  recog- 
nized by  both  sexes  as  a  proper  attribute  of 
manhood.  Where  men  and  women  thus  unite 
in  out-door  labor,  man  is  invariably  the  man- 
ager, and  woman  the  passive  worker;  his  mind, 
therefore,  loses  no  vigor,  while  hers  loses  both 
vigor  and  vivacity ;  and  her  body  loses  natural 
grace  and- motion. 

Women  can  not  go  to  war;  nor  to  the  fields 
to  clear  the  lands,  which  they  sometimes  culti- 
vate. They  can  not  build  houses,  or  make  rail- 
roads or  canals,  or  any  other  public  works. 
Tiiey  can  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  commerce 


woman's  eights.  261 

of  any  country,  by  building  ships,  or  sailing 
them.  Nor  can  they  engage  in  managing  the 
public  interests  of  the  land.  All  these  public 
labors  are  interdicted  to  women  by  the  laws  of 
nature  and  civilization.  The  fact  that  some  wo- 
men have  engaged  in  all  these  employments,  ar- 
gues either  an  unnatural  prepension  in  such  per- 
sons, or  an  evil  in  the  arrangements  of  society, 
that  renders  such  labors  desired  or  necessary  on 
her  part. 

The  same  natural  law  extends  to  the  intellec- 
tual province  of  woman.  The  average  brain  of 
woman,  although  of  finer  texture,  is  neither  so 
heavy,  nor  are  its  tissues  so  strong,  as  that  of 
man.  There  are  some  manifestations  of  mind 
in  which  she  is  superior  to  man.  There  is  more 
delicacy  of  feeling,  more  modesty,  more  sensibil- 
ity, more  love,  more  vivacity.  There  have  been 
in  the  same  ages,  few,  if  any  equals  in  pathos, 
to  Sappho  and  Mrs.  Browning.  But  the  epic, 
the  comic,  the  practical,  the  profound,  are  sel- 
dom met  with  in  the  literary  labors  of  women. 
As  God  has  constituted  the  sexes,  these  are  not 
to  be  expected.  Where  intense  study,  and  long 
sustained  effort,  as  upon  the  piano,  which  is  wo- 
man's instrument,  is  required,  man  must  achieve 


262  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF   THE    AGE. 

tlie  accomplishment,  and  become  the  instructor. 
In  sweetness  of  voice,  and  dehcacy  of  modula- 
tion, the  woman  excels,  but  the  bass  voice, 
'which  is  necessary  in  public  speech,  is  not  possi- 
ble to  the  vocal  organs  of  the  woman.  If  God 
has  indicated  any  thing  in  the  construction  of 
the  vocal  organs  of  the  different  sexes,  it  is  easy 
for  those  who  seek  human  good,  to  know  the 
divine  will,  and  it  is  unnatural  and  wicked  to 
urge  women  to  err  on  this  subject. 

Not  only  in  general  structure  and  in  voice, 
but  even  in  clothing,  and  in  hair,  nature,  as  well 
as  revelation,  has  distinguished  the  male  from 
the  female.  And  this  difference  is  observable 
in  all  species,  from  the  insect  to  the  mammal. 
In  the  human  genus  the  hair  of  the  male  is 
coarse,  and  grows  upon  the  face  as  upon  the  head. 
In  all  species  below  man,  the  clothing  of  the 
female  is  distinguishable  in  form,  and  often  in 
color.  There  is  sin  against  nature  as  well  as 
revelation,  on  the  part  of  those  who  urge  men 
and  women  to  transgress  the  laws  of  nature, 
and  the  principles  of  taste  and  beauty,  in  the 
matter  of  apparel,  and  wearing  of  long  hair, 
which  is  the  "ornament  of  women,"  but  "a 
shame  unto  men." 


woman's  eights.  263 

The  marital  differences  are  another  argument 
against  the  occupancy  of  the  same  positions. 
Man  begets  and  woman  bears.  The  declamation 
of  erratic  minds  can  not  alter  the  natural  con- 
stitution of  things ;  yet  this  constitution  makes 
the  province  of  the  two  sexes  separate,  and  yet 
dependent.  Wliether  the  creation  of  woman 
from  the  flesh  and  bone  of  man  be  allegory,  fact, 
or  fiction,  it  teaches  a  profound  truth.  Woman 
is  the  complement  of  man,  and  needs  the  pro- 
tection of  man,  and  the  affection  of  man,  even 
as  his  own  flesh.  Every  true  woman,  if  circum- 
stances do  not  prevent,  desires  to  be  a  wife  and 
a  mother;  the  natural  consequences  to  the  con- 
trary, notwithstanding.  There  are  monstrosities 
among  women,  but  in  the  normal  condition  of 
humanity,  "the  desire  of  woman  is  unto  her  hus- 
band." No  woman  or  man  fulfills  the  natural 
destiny  of  the  sexes  in  any  other  relation ;  and 
if  social  reformers  would  aim  at  promoting  this 
end,  they  would  bring  a  blessing  to  their  kind. 
The  social  law  of  the  Moravian  church,  which 
provides  for  companions  for  each  member,  is 
worthy  of  universal  prevalence.  He  is  the  ben- 
efactor of  women  who  aims  to  construct  society 
in  such  way  that  each  good  woman  will  have  a 
good  husband. 


264  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

When  the  home  is  constituted,  that  home  is 
most  happy,  where  there  is  most  unity  of  af- 
fection and  will,  as  well  as  unity  of  inter- 
est. Whatever  tends  to  weaken  this  unity  in 
tlie  family,  brings  a  curse  to  the  household.  The 
sexes  were  created  one,  of  one ;  created  one  man, 
but  male  and  female;  one  united  head,  as  parents 
of  one  family.  So  far  as  unprincipled,  or  wrong- 
headed  women  and  men  urge  schemes  that  tend 
to  break  the  unity  and  peace  of  home,  they  do 
what  tends  to  consig.i  woman  to  harlotry,  con- 
cubinage, or  celibacy;  there  is  no  alternative. 

What  then  are  the  relative  duties,  rights,  and 
wrongs,  connected  with  this  marital  constitution 
of  the  sexes  ? 

About  thirty  years  of  a  woman's  life,  all  the 
days  of  her  unabated  strength,  she  is  confined 
mostly  at  home,  as  a  wife  and  a  mother.  Health, 
modesty,  motherhood,  require  this.  True  wo- 
men, that  have  true  husbands,  rejoice  in  it.  Du- 
ring this  time  she  must  be  provided  for,  and 
cared  for  tenderly  by  her  husband,  as  she  cares 
for  her  children.  This  natural  constitution  of 
things,  precludes  the  possibility  of  women  enter- 
ing the  profes«ions  and  trades,  and  competing . 
with  men  i'or  waijos  or  precedence.      It   exalts 


woman's  rights.  265 

woman  above  man,  in  tliat  it  gives  her  tha 
highest  vocation  on  eartli,  the  home  teacher,  but 
it  absolutely  excludes  her  from  labors  that  re- 
quire continued  attention  out  of  her  own  dwel- 
ling.      . 

There  are  some  professions,  and  some  trades, 
that  ought  to  be  open  to  women;  and  unmarried 
women  might  fill  them  sometimes  better  than 
the  men  wlio  now  occupy  them.  But  every  em- 
ployer knows,  when  such  engagements  are  made, 
that  his  best  help  may  accept  a  call  to  leave  her 
place  just  at  the  time  her  services  are  becoming 
valuable  to  him.  A  man  entering  the  marriage 
relation,  would  become  more  reliable,  a  woman 
less  so.  Hence,  so  long  as  the  male  body  and 
brain  are  the  strongest;  and  so  long  as  men 
alone  can  be  depended  on  for  continuous  labor, 
wages  will  differ.  The  principles  of  Christianity, 
however,  would  concede  to  self-dependent  wo- 
men the  same  wages;  although,  in  some  cases, 
the  service  might  be  of  less  value.  Christianity, 
as  before  stated,  is  the  complement  of  Providence, 
requiring  the  strong  to  support  the  weak,  and 
those  that  have,  to  impart  to  those  that  need; 
but  the  intense  application  and  consecutive  labor 
that  church,  state,  or  public  business  requires,  is 
not  for  woman. 


2G6  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE   AGE. 

At  least  tliree-fourths  of  the  business  of  man's 
life  requires  out-door  travel  of  single  persons,  at 
all  times,  and  in  all  places,  bad  and  good.  In 
view  of  this  fact,  surely  none  but  weak  and  un- 
wise persons  would  think  of  women  as  justices, 
constables,  politicians,  and  legislators.  The 
vote,  however,  implies  all  these.  And  would 
not  a  certain  class  of  women  desire  places  for 
themselves  ?  and  women  for  constables,  instead 
of  men  ?  and  would  not  certain  parties  grant 
them  their  "rights,"  and  gain  their  influence 
thereby  ? 

It  would  be  a  sorrowful  experiment,  but  in 
the  end,  perhaps,  it  would  be  a  benefit,  if  in 
some  state  woman's  suffrage  should  be  granted. 
The  Gordian  knot  of  the  Malthusian  problem 
would  be  solved  in  half  a  century,  by  such  an 
experiment,  if  it  were  to  become  general.  Men 
marry  to  enjoy  the  social  affections  of  home. 
When  women  become  politicians  and  voters, 
with  the  attendant  consequences,  there  will  be 
few  marriages;  and  among  those  without  Chris- 
tian principle,  the  "murder  of  the  innocents" 
will  be  more  common  than  at  present.  It  is 
known,  that  women  of  the  world,  and  others 
destitute   of  conscience,    destroy  multitudes   oi 


.  woman's  eights,  267 

tlieir  own  unborn  offspring  rather  than  be  con- 
fined at  home,  or  forego  the  pleasures  of  fashion- 
able life.  If  this  be  true  now,  what  would  be 
true  then  ?  A  reaction  would  come  on,  as  in 
the  clamor  for  natural  rights  in  the  free-love  ex- 
citement. But  such  an  experiment  would  cost 
too  much ;  and  the  demoralization  of  the  sexes 
would  not  be  retrieved  for  a  century. 

While  I  believe  that  the  arguments,  in  behalf 
of  enlarging  woman's  sphere  of  action,  are  gener- 
ally true,  and  indicative  of  a  good  heart  in  those 
who  urge  them,  I  think  otherwise  in  regard  to 
the  arguments  for  woman's  suffrage.  So  far  as 
I  have  noticed  them,  there  is  fallacy  or  misap- 
plication in  them  all.* 

*  Recently  we  have  an  utterance  from  the  most  entertaining 
platform-preacher  in  the  world.  He  said,  "Men  pretended  to  be 
afraid  that  woman  would  unsex  herself;  but  could  a  man  by  rock- 
ing the  cradle  for  one  of  his  children  become  a  woman?  It  is 
tlie  extreme  of  namby-pamby  nonsense.  She  was  wool-dyed  in 
God's  colors,  and  could  never  wash  out." 

This  inimitable  preacher  ought  never  to  meddle  with  logic  nor 
with  texts  from  the  epistle  to  the  Eomans.  It  is  woman's  pro- 
vince to  rock  the  cradle  and  provide  food  for  tlie  babe;  and  it  is 
man's  duty  to  supply  the  cradle  and  provide  food  for  the  mother. 
When  the  sexes  depart,  except  as  an  episode  in  family  life,  from 
these  relations,  the  distinctions  and  duties  which  nature  ordains 
are  violated.  This  figurative  import  the  preacher  knows  is  all 
any  one  means  by  men  or  women  unsexing  themselves.  A 
good  cause  does  not  depend  on  brilliant  tricks  with  an  audience. 


26S  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

It  is  said  that  there  are  weak  men,  both  in 
mind  and  body ;  and  there  are  some  women  who 
can  talk  and  work  in  pubhc  matters  better  than 
most  men.  This  is  an  ingenious  deception. 
There  are  some  men  that  can  attend  young 
children  and  do  culinary  labor  better  than  most 
women;  but  such  exceptions  only  prove  the 
general  rule  to  which  they  are  opposed.  Things 
can  be  done  that  are  unnatural  both  by  men  and 
women.  Some  roosters  cackle,  and  some  hens 
crow ;  but  what  do  such  exhibitions  indicate  ? 

It  is  said  that  women  might  vote  without  in- 
terrupting their  home  engagements,  as  many 
men  do.  But  voting  is  only  the  executive  part 
of  the  voter's  interest.  Shop-talk  and  discussion, 
cau causes,  torchliglit  processions  and  other  mat- 
ters tliat  need  not  be  named,  precede  voting. 
It  is  necessary  that  there  should  be  two  parties 
in  a  country,  and  such  necessity  will  exist  until 
the  world  is  ruled  by  truth  and  justice;  but  wo- 
man was  not  created  for  party  strife,  and  it  will 
be  a  wrong  to  ren4er  her  connection  with  it  ne- 
cessary. 

If  one  were  to  say  a  man  who  gets  drunk  and  beats  his  wife  is  a 
brute,  the  reply  of  a  genius  of  this  sort  would  be,  Ohl  no;  that  is 
namby-pamby,  God  made  him  a  man,  he  is  dyed  in  the  wool;  ho 
cannot  unman  himself,  and  become  a  brute. 


woman's  rights.  269 

But,  it  will  be  said,  that  at  home  with  her 
husband,  there  would  be  no  cross-questions  or 
discussions.  Granted,  but  in  such  case  the  vote 
would  be.  simply  doubled,  with  no  difference  in 
the  result.  Women's  voting  can  make  no  dif-  . 
ference  in  the  result  of  an  election,  only  so  far 
as  they  differ  from  their  husbands  and  relatives. 
The  idea  of  advancing  public  interest  in  this 
way,  can  be  predicated  only  on  the  hope  of  differ- 
ences between  men  and  women  at  home. 

"But  there  are  unmarried  women  who  are  in- 
dependent, and  some  who  have  no  home,  no 
friends."  Yes;  but  many  of  this  class  are  ig- 
norant, and  others  are  abandoned  and  reckless 
women,  and  their  vote  would  foster  and  honor 
vice,  and  give  strength  to  the  bad  men  who  vote 
now  in  the  same  direction.  " 

It  is  said  that  women  have  rights  to  protect 
as  women,  and  men  can  not  impartially  main- 
tain these  as  legislators,  or,  that  they  will  not 
do  it.  This  is  folly.  To  protect  the  interests 
of  women  is  as  much  the  interest  of  the  legisla- 
tor as  to  protect  the  interests  of  men.  Are  not 
women's  interests  men's  interests  ?  Do  not  men 
care  for  their  wives,  mothers,  daughters,  sisters, 
as  much  as  they  do  for  their  male  constituents  ? 


270  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

I  have  discliarged,  to  the  best  of  my  abiHty,  the 
duties  of  a  law-maker,  and  I  know  that  the 
rights  of  w^omen  are  more  sacred  in  the  regard 
ol  legislators  than  the  rights  of  men.  Men  suf- 
fer from  inadequate  wages,  and  from  want  of 
employment,  as  do  women ;  and,  while  it  is  true 
that  when  men  suffer,  women  suffer  with  them; 
yet  there  is  not  a  legislature  in  the  Union,  that, 
in  case  of  equal  suffering,  would  not  relieve  the 
women  before  the  men.  Just  as  in  a  sinking 
ship,  men  will  see  all  the  women  removed  from 
the  vessel  before  they  disembark  themselves. 

"But  have  not  women  property  to  be  taxed, 
and  ought  she  not  to  vote  for  those  who  are  to 
tax  it  ?  Ought  there  to  be  'taxation  without 
representation  ?'  "  This  plea  is  an  adroit  decep- 
tion. The  taxation  is  on  the  property,  irrespec- 
tive of  whether  men  or  women  own  it.  If  there 
is  any  property  peculiar  to  women  as  a  sex,  it 
will  always  be  taxed  lighter  than  any  other  on 
the  tax  list.  Taxation  without  representation, 
means  only  that  no  species  of  property  in  a  coun- 
try shall  be  taxed  by  a  power  where  the  proper- 
ty taxed  is  not  represented.  A  legislature  could 
not  enact  laws  for  or  against  the  property  of  wo- 
men, without,  by  the  same  act,    legislating   for 


woman's  eights.  271 

or  against  tlie  same  species  of  property  in 
men. 

Besides,  the  ballot,  in  a  free  country,  is  not 
predicated  on  property.  If  it  were,  men  would 
vote  as  corporations  and  aristocracies  do,  in  pro- 
portion to  the  amount  of  their  estate.  Such  a 
qualification  has  been  required  in  some  instances 
by  some  of  the  states;  but  it  is  a  wrong  princi- 
ple. The  vote  is  predicated  on  the  poll  tax,  the 
maintenance  of  agriculture,  commerce,  and  man- 
ufactures, and  the  defense  of  the  state  when 
thus  constituted. 

It  is  urged,  with  great  confidence,  that  vices 
would  be  reformed  if  the  women  had  a  vote, 
and  that  the  moral  party  in  politics  would  gain 
by  the  moral  influence  of  the  women.  If  I  be- 
lieved this,  I  should  probably  be  a  convert  to 
morals  as  against  nature;  but  natural  law,  not 
natural  impulse,  and  moral  duty  are  one.  If 
women  had  a  vote,  political  necessities,  in  order 
to  success,  would  urge  all  women  to  vote,  even 
when  modesty  and  condition  forbade  the  expo- 
sure. Ignorant  and  unprincipled  women  would 
undoubtedly  all  crowd  the  women's  poll,  and 
vote  the  saloon  ticket,  and  if  the  thinking,  re- 
spectable portion  did  not  go  also  and  vote,   the 


272  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

otliers  would  largely  increase  Satan's  majority. 
Children,  even  in  arms,  would  not  prevent  en- 
terprising females,  of  a  certain  class,  from  being 
at  the  polls ;  and  then  if  more  retiring  women 
did  not  go  out  nolens  volem,  the  anti-conscience 
party  would  be  a  large  gainer  by  the  women's 
vote. 

"But  would,  not  sober  women,  who  have 
drunken  husbands,  vote  against  the  husband,  in 
favor  of  a  temperance  law  ?' '  Seldom,  if  ever. 
A  wise  wife  would  not  try  to  reform  her  hus- 
band by  opposing  him  in  politics.  It  would  not 
be  difficult  for  her  to  understand  that  it  would 
only  drive  him  farther  from  her,  and  oftener  in- 
to the  saloon.  Her  hope  would  be  to  reform 
him  by  complying  with  his  wishes;  and  on 
promise  of  reform,  she  would  vote  with  him, 
against  a  temperance  law.  Besides,  in  ninety- 
nine  out  of  a  hundred,  such  wives  would  be  per- 
suaded, before  election  day,  that  the  temperance 
law  was  an  interference  with  liberty,  and  an  in- 
centive to  drunkenness.  But  suppose  the  wo- 
men should  pass  a  temperance  law  or  any  law 
against  the  vote  of  the  men,  who  would  enforce 


"to 
it? 


Perhaps  it  will    be  said,  that  in  country    dis- 


woman's  rights.  273 

tricts,  where  immoral  women  are  not  numerous, 
great  advantages  would  be  gained.  But  in  such 
cases  women  would  vote  with  their  husbands. 
Many  of  them  would  not  vote  at  all,  so  that  the 
numbers  of  modest  and  respectable  women  that 
would  stay  at  home,  compared  with  an  equal 
number  of  another  class  that  would  never  stay 
at  home,  would  cause  a  large  loss  to  the  best 
side  in  politics.* 

When  it  is  said  that  men,  who  create  and  de- 

*  Perliaps  the  sketch  of  a  popular  physician,  dramatized,  will 
give  a  more  life-like  idea  of  the  future  of  this  question.  Suppoie 
it  is  election  morning:     Mr.  Tiltman  suggests  to  his  wife — 

T.     My  dear,  I  hope  you'll  vote  early  to  day. 

Mrs.  T.  Why  Mr.  TI  are  you  crazy  I  would  you  have  a  wor  an 
in  my  condition  go  to  the  polls? 

T.  Well,  but,  my  dear,  both  Bridget  and  Dorothea  will  go,  and 
vote  for  that  scoundrel  that  keeps   the  den  on  the  corner. 

Mrs.  T.     Well;  you  know  I  ought  not  to  go. 

T.     Can't  you  prevail  on  Bridget  to  stay  at  home? 

Mrs.  T.  Tou  know  we  agreed  not  to  influence  or  inteifere 
with  her  religion  or  politics. 

T.  We  ought  not  to  have  done  it;  she's  under  the  influence 
of  the  priests,  who  alwaj'S  vote  wrong;  and  besides  all  the  Taurito 
women  will  turn  out,  no  matter  what  their  condition. 

Mrs.  T.  I'm  really  surprised  at  you,  Tiltman.  Is  this  your 
woman's  rights!  Have  you  lost  all  respect  for  your  wife.  I 
can't  go  in  my  own  apparel.  It  would  be  torn  and  jammed  to 
pieces. 

T.     Can't  I  got  a  conveyance  and  go  along,  and  protect  you? 

Mrs.  T.     You  know  they  don't  let  men  into  our  poll;   ^nd  the# 
Mellesians  are  so  horrid!      You   heard   how   Mrs.   Forward  got 

18 


274  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

fend  tlie  institutions  of  a  country,  ouglit  to  as- 
sume the  duty  of  managing  the  machinery  of 
the  government,  it  is  repHed,  evidently  without 
seeing  the  non  sequiter  in  the  statement:  "Did 
not  the  women,  in  the  war  for  liberty,  do  their 
part  as  well  as  the  men?"  Yes,  they  did  their 
part  often  better  than  the  men.  But  their  part, 
was  not  the  men's  part.  As  nurses,  as  hospital 
dispensers,  they  were  better  than  most  of  the 
men  thus  employed.  But  all  the  machinery 
and  labor  of  the  government  and  the  war ,  laws, 
railroads,  houses,  medicines,  conveyance,  protec- 
tion, were  provided  for  them,  as  they  should 
have  been,  by  their  male  protectors.  They 
were  taken  as  women,  and  set  down  to  their 
appropriate  work ;  and  they  did  it  to  the  credit 
of  their  country  and  their  sex.  To  plead  such 
precedents  to  work  a  great  wrong  to  women  by 
urging  them  out  of  their  natural  position,  is 
worse  than  weakness  of  mind, 

imshed  down  and  her  face  scratched.  She  struck  one  of  tliem  but 
she  has  been  sick  ever  since.  Besides  tlie  woman  guardians 
(female  police)  are  all  on  the  other  side.  I  wouldn't  go  for  the 
■world.     Mrs.  Meekheart  never  goes,  and  says  she  never  will. 

T.     Her  husband  ought  to  see  to  that. 

Mrs.  T.  Her  husband  isn't  a  fool.  If  he  should  urge  out  such 
a  delicate  wife,  he  would  be  a  brute. 

T.     Confound  it !— Where's  Bridget  ? 

Mrs.  T.  Gone  to  the  Tenth  Ward  to  work  for  her  cousin  Bub'a 
election.     SJie's  gut  over  young  Saui  Roberts. — |M\il  Mr.  T. 


woman's  rights.  275 

But  would, there  not  be  a  benefit  to  the  state 
by  doubling  the  number  of  voters?  There 
might  be  benefit  that  I  do  not  perceive ;  but  any 
one  can  see  that  the  evils  would  be  many. 
There  would  be  the  expense  of  increasing  the 
vote  without  changing  the  issue.  In  legislatures 
a  certain  number  on  each  side  often  pair  off  and 
go  home,  or  do  not  vote.  If  fifty  leave  that  are 
equally  divided,  the  vote  of  the  fifty  that  re- 
main will  show  the  same  result  as  the  vote  of 
the  one  hundred  would  have  done.  "But,"  says 
one,  "some  women  would  not  vote  with  their 
husbands."  A  few  might  not,  but  the  vote  of 
the  profligate  women  would  far  overbalance 
these. 

Another  result  would  be  the  introduction  of 
some  women,  not  the  best,  as  it  is  with  men, 
into  public  places,  and  the  amalgamation  of  this 
class  of  women,  with  the  same  class  of  men, 
would  not  produce  the  best  results.  A  legisla- 
ture, or  any  assemblage,  composed  of  women 
with  no  husbands,  or  of  women  whose  husbands 
were  at  home  with  the  children,  and  of  men 
with  wives  at  home,  or  no  wives,  would  work 
strange  results,  and  attract  an  audience  into  tho 
lobbies,  just  as  the  public  speeches  of  women 
attract  an  audience  to  see  the  speaker. 


276  LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF   THE    AGE. 

"But  is  not  Victoria  Queen  of  Great  Britain?" 
Yes;  and  has  about  as  much  to  do  with  devising, 
or  arguing,  or  executing  the  laws  of  the  realm, 
as  the  woman  in  the  moon.  "But  there  was 
Catherine  of  Russia."  Yes;  whose  affections 
were  conquered  by  her  generals ;  and  Mary  of 
England,  and  Isabella  of  Spain,  and  many  others, 
good  and  bad,  who  were  ruled  by  the  priests; 
all  of  them  a  tax  on  the  public  treasury,  while 
they  had  no  more  to  do  with  making  the  laws, 
or  executing  them,  than  the  Queen  of  England 
has. 

When  women  leave  their  homes  and  travel 
on  electioneering  campaigns;  when  they  are 
separated  in  politics,  and  in  law  courts,  from 
their  husbands ;  when  marriage  becomes  a  part- 
nership ;  when  women  are  met  as  politicians  and 
controversialists,  as  the  nature  of  party  action 
now  requires  men  to  meet,  in  the  hall  and  in  the 
street,  the  respect  which  modern  civilization  re- 
quires for  woman  will  cease,  and  men  will  reply 
to  their  vi<;Uperations  in  terras  that  they  use  to 
each  other,  and  which  we  will  not  now  permit 
to  be  applied  to  our  sisters,  or  our  wives. 

A  vixen  writer  of  marked  ability,  after  tell- 
ing gentlemen  their  duty,  and    prescribing  their 


woman's  eights.  277 

spliere,  scolds  like  a  Jezebel,  because  a  writer, 
who  is  a  husband  and  father,  advises  women  to 
seek  usefulness  in  home,  rather  than  in  public 
duties.  She  forgets  that  nature  determines  the 
question  of  home  duties  for  women,  and  when 
they  are  advised  by  their  friends  to  seek  useful- 
ness in  the  family,  or  in  some  light  labor,  it  is 
merely  advising  them  not  to  be  unnatural  in 
their  hearts  and  habits.  When  a  woman  does 
unsex  herself,  no  wise  man  will  invite  her  to  be 
mistress  of  a  home;  and  a  woman  who  has  a 
home,  will  dishonor  her  husband,  and  neglect 
appropriate  duties,  if  she  assumes  to  discharge 
the  services  for  which  masculine  functions  are 
required.  The  man  who  advises  a  woman  to 
attempt  to  sing  bass,  is  an  evil  counsellor;  either 
his  motive  or  his  mind  is  wrong.* 

*  1  was  present  recently  at  a  meeting  of  the  queer  company  that 
assembled  at  the  Cooper  Institute,  to  advocate  woman's  rights. 
A  note  was  read  from  the  editor  of  the  Independent,  who  is  both 
a  genius,  and  a  radical  reformer.  The  purport  of  the  note  was: 
"As  I  share  my  loaf  witli  my  wife,  I  am  willing  to  share  my  vote 
with  her."  Neither  Mr.  Tilton,  nor  his  feminine  admirers,  seem- 
ed to  see  the  shallowness  of  what  was  designed  to  be  smart  senti- 
ment. Mr.  T.  shares  his  vote  wiUi  his  wife  now,  as  much  <'is  he 
does  his  loaf.  When  his  wife  votes,  he  will  have  a  loaf,  but  no 
vote,  to  share  with  her.  She  will  have  her  own  vote  then: 
ought  she  to  have  her  own  loaf  too? 

When  the  teaching  of  the  New   Testament   on  this   subject  is 
spoken  of,  it  is  a  common  remark  of  this  newspaper  writer  to  say 


278  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

The  writer  referred  to,  thinks  it  a  conclusive 
argument  in  behalf  of  women  going  to  the  polls 
tliat  husbands  and  wives  sometimes  choose  differ- 
ent religious  denominations,  while  their  different 
views  and  actions  do  not  hinder  their  usefulness 
or  happiness  at  home.  The  illustration  is  at 
fault;  and  if  it  were  true,  the  conclusion  drawn 
from  it  would  be  erroneous.  It  is  not  true  that 
different  denominational  action  is  like  different 
political  action  in  the  heads  of  a  family.  In  dif- 
ferent denominations  each  labors  for  the  same 
Head  of- the  church,  and  their  hearts' are  unit- 
ed to  the  same  leader.  If  they  differed  in 
politics,  they  would  labor  for   opposing  leaders, 

that  the  import  of  the  text  is  obsolete  as  the  requirements  to 
praj^  for  Kings.  Charit,y  hopes  that  the  writer  does  not  perceive 
the  perversion  of  Scripture  in  this  oft  repeated  solecism.  The 
word  'Kings'  is  used  only  as  signif3-ing  office;  and  any  other  word 
designating  official  authority  as  president  or  governor,  might  be 
put  in  its  stead;  this  the  succeeding  clause  shows.  But  the  in- 
struction of  the  apostles  in  regard  to  woman's  sphere  and  woman's 
duties  are  in  the  form  of  special  precepts,  the  predicate  of  which 
cannot  be  varied  in  any  respect.  "Wives  submit  yourselves 
unto  your  own  husbands,  as  unto  the  Lord.  For  the  husband  is 
tlio  head  of  the  wife,  even  as  Christ  is  the  head  of  tlie  cluircli." 
Now,  whatever  such  passages  may  mean,  we  cannot  put  wife  in- 
stead of  husband,  and  affirm  tliat  the  husband  shall  submit  to  tlie 
wife,  and  that  the  wife  is  the  head  of  the  husband.  They  mean, 
at  least,  what  nature  teaches,  that  God  has  constituted  the  hus- 
))and  tlio  controling  will  in  regard  to  general  interests  of  the 
f.imily. 


woman's  eights.  279 

and  opposing  interests.  Besides,  religious  unity, 
which  is  strength,  is  not  gained  for  either  de- 
nomination ;  and  the  home  division  has  almost 
invariably  an  injurious  effect  upon  children. 

There  is  a  certain  class  of  women  now  some- 
times met  with  at  the  public  boarding  houses  of 
the  general  and  state  governments,  whose  char- 
acter is  not  like  that  of  Mrs.  Polk,  and  others 
who  might  be  named;  women  whose  influence 
radiated  from  their  homes  and  was  felt  by  the 
very  best  class  of  public  men.  Nor  have  the 
women  spoken  of  the  character  of  lady  corres- 
pondents of  newspapers,  who  often  maintam  a 
womanly  deportment,  while,  they  expose  vice 
and  commend  virtue  in  high  places.  They  are 
women  with  male  idiosyncrasies ;  or  they  come 
as  the  stool-pigeons  of  men  who  have  ends  to 
gain.  They  send  their  notes;  and  novelty,  as 
well  as  courtesy,  and  sometimes  other  motives, 
incline  members  to  visit  them,  or  to  permit  them- 
selves to  be  visited.  Under  these  circumstances 
the  man  hears  and  assents  to  their  views  or 
seems  to  do  so.  But  this  is  neither  well  nor 
wise.  Petitions  from  women,  and  their  just 
claims,  whether  presented  in  person  or  other- 
wise, will  always  be  heard.     But  a  certain  class 


N 


280  LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

of  legislators  deceive  a  certain  class  of  women; 
and  there  will  always  be  a  few  ultra  radicals 
who  will  sympathize  with  wrong  schemes,  pre- 
sented in  the  name  of  the  right. 

I  have  known  women  in  the  lobby,  laboring 
for  impracticable  or  unwise  projects.  Men  would 
dine  with  them,  talk  with  them,  walk  with  them, 
assent  to  their  projects;  even  bring  in  a  bill 
professedly  to  accomplish  their  desire;  but  with 
the  understandincr  amona;  themselves  that  it  was 
to  be  put  adroitly  out  of  the  way.  When  wo- 
men seek  political  ends,  by  personal  suasion, 
with  public  men,  there  will  generally  be  either 
sham,  or  fraud,  or  sin  connected  with  such  ne- 
gotiations. There  are  thousands  of  easy  minds 
in  the  world  who  sign  petitions  o-sking  suffrage 
for  women;  and  there  are  weak  members  in  the 
legislature,  for  the  first  time,  who  are  inclined  to 
grant  petitions,  not  remembering  that  nine  tenths 
of  the  best  women  in  the  land  condemn  both  the 
petition  and  the  measure  for  which  it  asks. 

We  predict  that  no  such  event  as  women  at 
the  polls  will  ever  take  place  over  any  consider- 
able extent  of  the  union.  When  it  does  occur, 
the  ballot  should  be  given  first  to  the  unmarried 
women.     There  is  not  one  married  woman  in  a 


WOMAN  S    RIGHTS. 


281 


hundred  that  would  accept  the  ballot  understand- 
ing the  circumstances  in  which  it  would  involve 
her.  If  it  were  forced  upon  women  as  a  sex,  m 
ten  years  there  would  be  a  universal  presenta- 
tion of  petitions  from  christian  families,  to  be 
rehevecl  from  the  useless  and  injurious  operation 
of  a  state  of  things  which  gave  profligacy  and 
badly  organized  minds  the  ascendancy,  and  mil- 
itated against  the  privacy  of  the  family,  the  du- 
ties of  a  wife,  and  the  modesties  of  motherhood. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

CAPITAL    PUNISHMENT 

There  is  a  class  of  reformers  who  are  moved 
by  their  sympathies,  rather  than  by  the  reason 
and  justice  of  the  case.  This  class  of  men  some- 
times become  dangerous  to  the  well-being  of  so- 
ciety. They  sympathize  with  scoundrels,  and 
seek  to  save  them  from  just  penalties.  They 
would  make  the  penitentiary  a  place  of  comfort- 
able retirement  for  villains,  and  thus  induce  such 
a  state  of  things,  that  those  who  had  never  been 
there,  would  have  no  dread  of  the  crime  that 
would  send  them  there ;  and  those  who  had  been 
there  would  be  prepared  for  any  villainy,  if  go- 
iiig  back  to  light  labor  and  comfortable  quarters 
was  the  only  consequence.  To  provide  for  the 
health  and  moral  reform  of  criminals,  is  proper, 
but  to  make  their  penalty  a  punishment  is  a  duty, 


CAPITAL   PUNISHMENT.  283 

which  it  is  crime  against  society  to  neglect.  We 
have  had  some  experience  in  framing  legislative 
provisions  and  penalties  for  criminals,  and  I  am 
sure  that  the  policy  that  maikes  a  penitentiary 
more  comfortable  in  labor  and  quarters  than  an 
honest  day  laborer  can  afford,  is  a  premium  of- 
fered for  crime. 

The  persons  alluded  to  may  be  called  instinc- 
tive reformers,  because  their  impulses  are  or- 
ganic, not  moral.  They  frequently  misdirect 
their  compassion,  because  the  impulse,  in  their 
case,  is  the  highest  law.  They  oppose  capital 
punishment,  and  denounce  those  who  maintain 
the  justice  of  the  death  penalty.  They  do  this 
in  common  ad  captandum  phrase,  appealing  to 
the  sense  of  sympathy,  not  to  the  sense  of  justice. 
Now,  while  it  is  admitted  that  none  but  the 
willful  and  deliberate  murderer  should  die,  it  has 
not  been  shown  that  the  Scriptures,  or  the  prin- 
ciples of  mercy  guided  by  justice  and  reason, 
would  permit  the  deliberate  murderer  to  live. 
He  has  shown  himself  to  be  the  enemy  of  his 
race,  and  should  be  separated  from  them  either 
by  painless  death,  or  by  life  imprisonment  with- 
out hope  of  pardon. 

There  is  a  vicious  sympathy  that  excuses   it- 


284  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF   THE    AGE. 

self  towards  the  guilty  rather  than  the  innocent. 
A  sympathy  opposed  to  the  just  suffering  of 
criminals  is  suspicious.  Suppose  I  witness  a 
pirate-ship  attack  a  packet,  and  murder  in  cold 
blood  the  crew  and  passengers.  Immediately 
after,  a  revenue-cutter  attacks  the  pirate,  and 
destroys  the  murderers  of  the  innocent.  There 
was  as  much  of  animal  suffering  in  the  one  case 
as  the  other.  But  if  I  feel  for  the  sufferings  of 
the  pirates  as  I  do  for  the  murdered  passengers, 
I  am  a  brute,  possessing  blind  compassion  with- 
out a  sense  of  justice;  or  else  I  am  a  pirate  at 
heart,  sympathizing  with  like  character. 

It  is  painful  to  read  the  remarks  of  such  sym- 
pathizers, when  they  talk  mawkishly  about  the 
momentary  suffering  of  the  murderer,  while  not 
a  word  is  said,  and  apparently  not  an  emotion 
felt,  in  view  of  the  various,  protracted,  and  ex- 
cruciating sufferings  which  the  villain  may  have 
inflicted  upon  his  innocent  victim. 

It  is  an  error  to  place  the  mercy  of  the  New 
Testament  in  antagonism  to  capital  punishment. 
The  Scriptures  recognize  an  abatement  in  sever- 
ity and  frequency  of  penalty,  as  light,  and  civil 
security  increases  in  the  world.  Efforts  to  pre- 
vent crime  and  reform  the  criminal  will  increase 


CAPITAL   PUNISHMENT.  285 

with  the  advances  of  Christianity ;  but  the  car- 
dinal principles  of  the  Christian  Scriptures  re- 
cognize the  rectitude  of  tlie  voluntary  suffering 
of  individuals,  when  it  is  necessary  for  the  good 
of  the  whole,  and  of  penal  infliction  when  ne- 
cessary as  penalty  for  violated  law.  Even  the 
death-penalty  is  recognized  as  proper  when  exe- 
cuted as  a  penalty  for  crime  worthy  of  death. 
Paul  says,  "If  I  have  done  any  thing  worthy 
of  death,  I  refuse  not  to  die."  Thus  implying 
that  such  crimes  were  possible,  and  such  penalty 
proper.  The  Mosaic  institutions  were  for  a  pe- 
culiar people,  in  the  initiatory  stages  of  civiliza- 
tion and  piety ;  but  the  Great  Teacher  sanction- 
ed the  death  penalty  under  the  law  of  Moses, 
and  thereby  taught  that  taking  life  as  a  penalty 
is  not  wrong  in  itself.  Hence  the  true  inference 
is,  that  while  it  may  be  proper  under  the  gospel 
to  abate  the  death-penalty  in  all  minor  cases  of 
crime  and  perhaps  in  the  end  substitute  therefor 
life-labor  without  hope  of  reprieve,  yet  the  in- 
fliction of  the  death-penalty  on  the  part  of  so- 
ciety can  never  be  shown  to  be  wrong  in  itself. 
Jesus  said  to  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  who  had 
abrogated  the  death-penalty  in  the  case  of  the 
drunken,  stubborn,  and  rebellious  son  that  cursed 


286  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

his  parents,  and  could  not  be  reformed,  Matt. 
15^  "God  commanded,  saying,  Honor  thy  father 
and  thy  mother,  and  he  that  curseth  father  or 
mother  let  him  die  the  death;  but  ye  say  other- 
wise, and  thus  make  the  commandment  of  God 
of  none  effect." 

The  ultimate  principle,  admitted  by  all,  is, 
that  as  life  is  the  highest  individual  good,  it 
should  be  protected  by  the  highest  penalty.  If 
no  other  than  the  death-penalty  will  so  certainly 
protect  the  life  of  the  innocent,  then  those  who 
would  spare  tlie  life  of  the  murderer,  do  it  at  the 
expense  of  the  life  of  the  innocent.  Now  it  has 
never  been  proved,  and  can  not  be,  that  in  the 
present  state  of  society  imprisonment  for  life  is 
a  security  against  future  murder  by  the  con- 
demned. ^A  criminal  was  condemned  by  a  jury 
to  be  hung  for  deliberate  murder,  in  the  state  of 
Ohio,  a  few  years  since.  This  penalty  was  com- 
muted to  imprisonment  for  life.  In  less  than 
three  years,  afterwards  he  was  pardoned;  and 
for  the  crimes  he  has  since  committed,  the  sym- 
pathizers with  this  murderer  are  guilty. 

Commutation,  or  sentence  to  life  imprison- 
ment, endangers  witnesses  both  before  and  after 
trial.     A  man  of  fifty   commits   a   theft.      He 


CAPITAL  PUNISHMENT.  287 

knows  an  imprisonment  of  ten  years  will  follow 
the  proof.  Will  lie  not  thus  be  bribed  to  mur- 
der the  witness  ?  His  penalty  for  both  crimes 
can  be  no  greater  than  that  for  the  least ;  and  if 
he  murders  the  witness  he  hopes  to  escape. 
Will  not  the  discontinuance  of  the  death  penalty 
transform  most  thieves  into  murderers  ?  That 
it  has  done  so  in  many  cases,  is  in  evidence  in 
confessions  and  in  criminal  courts.  If  men  com- 
mit the  murder  it  is  only  imprisonment  for  a 
longer  term,  and  that  penalty  doubtful;  if  they 
kill  their  victim,  his  testimony  is  impossible,  and 
chances  of  escape  are  greater,  while  the  penalty 
is  in  many  cases  no  greater.  Will  it  not  take 
away  from  the  public  mind  an  impression  of  the 
Banctity  of  life,  and  thus  in  the  estimation  of 
villains  decrease  their  sense  of  the  guilt  of  mur- 
der ?  A  virtuous  community  will  punish  the 
guilty.  An  immoral  community  will  punish 
them  by  impulse,  or  not  at  all.  The  remission 
of  the  death-penalty  has  produced  in  Wisconsin, 
and  is  now  producing  in  some  other  States, 
many  unlawful  outrages.  The  conscience  which 
God  has  given  men  says,  the  murderer  should 
die.  This  has  been  its  testimony  in  all  ages 
and  in  all    time.      When   an    immoral   philan- 


288 


LIVING    Q.UESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 


tbropy  remits  tlie  death-penalty,  natural  con- 
science is  outraged,  and  men  rise  in  mobs  to  in- 
flict vengeance  upon  the  murderer. 

The  pleas  usually  urged  against  the  death- 
penalty  have  slight  foundation  either  in  morals 
or  in  reason.  It  is  said  that  in  some  cases  the 
innocent  suffer  death,  and  no  remuneration  can 
be  made.  So  they  may  suffer  imprisonment  for 
life,  and  no  remuneration  can  be  made.  Imper- 
fection may  attach  to  all  law  and  penalty  that 
is  based  upon  testimony  ;  but  even  this  possible 
evil  might  be  guarded  against  by  sentence  of 
imprisonment,  without  pardon,  when  doubt  of 
the  fact  were  possible. 

It  is  said,  again,  that  society,  when  it  takes 
life  for  life,  commits  the  same  crime  with  the 
malefactor.  Shame  on  such  solecisms;  then 
when  we  confine  a  murderer  for  life,  we  commit 
a  crime  equal  in  guilt  to  that  of  the  criminal. 
When  society  takes  a  certain  sum  as  penalty 
from  a  man  who  damaged  his  neighbor,  it  com- 
mits the  same  offense  with  the  criminal ;  if  there 
were  a  society  of  criminals  for  the  promotion 
of  crime,  such  arguments  would  receive  a  pre- 
mium. 

But  it  is  sometimes  said  that   life   is  sacred; 


CAPITAL    PUNISHMENT.  289 

it  ouglit  not  to  be  taken  in  any  case;  it  can 
be  forfeited  only  to  Him  wbo  gave  it.  The 
statement  is  false  in  fact  and  in  theory.  If  any 
man  were  attacked  by  an  assassin,  with  deadly 
weapons,  and  with  the  known  intent  to  kill,  it 
would  be  his  duty  to  save  his  own  life  by  taking 
the  life  of  the  murderer.  Now,  is  not  life  for- 
feited as  much  after  the  act  as  before  ?  It  is 
certain  that  the  guilt  is  as  great,  and  that  justice 
and  universal  conscience  would  affirm  the  same 
penalty  after,  as  before  the  fact.  If  the  mur- 
derer escapes,  is  society  guilty  for  doing  what 
the  murdered  man  ought  to  have  done  ? 

It  is  said  society  is  guilty  in  view  of  the  im-' 
perfect  provision  made  for  the  moral  and  intel- 
lectual training  of  the  masses  of  the  people.  If 
our  school  systems  be  inadequate  or  partial,  they 
should  be  reformed  and  strengthened;  but  this, 
while  it  would  prevent  the  development  of  evil, 
in  many  cases,  would  not  prevent  crime.  It  is 
a  fallacy  to  argue  that  the  absence  of  remedies 
used  to  prevent  an  evil  is  the  cause  of  that  evil. 
If  the  argument  were  true,  all  who  have  inade- 
quate intellectual  and  moral  training  would  be 
alike  criminals ;  which  statement  is  false  and 
glanderous. 

19 


290  LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF   THE   AGE. 

It  is  said,  again,  by  the  philosophers  of  the 
Fowler  school,  that  the  propensity  to  crime  is 
organic ;  that  criminal  acts  arise  from  the  unbal- 
anced  impulsion  of  certain  cranial  developments ; 
and  that  therefore  the  criminal  should  be  an  ob- 
ject of  pity  rather  than  a  subject  for  penalty,  be- 
cause his  impulse  is  natural.  If  this  be  true, 
then  the  Calvinistic  system,  which  these  re- 
formers take  pains  to  deride,  is  true  in  its  ut- 
most stringency.  If  this  were  true,  then  mur- 
derers should  be  exterminated  for  the  same  rea- 
son that  we  kill  a  viper  or  a  tiger.  Both  are 
the  natural  enemies  of  human  life ;  and  reform 
in  any  case  would  be  just  as  possible  as  in  the 
other.  The  Chinese,  who  kill  both  the  criminal 
and  his  children  to  prevent  the  natural  propaga- 
tion of  crime,  would  be  right.  Such  a  philoso- 
phy ignores  reform  efforts  of  all  kinds.  Keform 
in  that  case  would  be  possible  only  by  knocking 
in  the  evil  developments  on  the  head.  The 
Fowler  philosophy  perpetrates  the  error  of  all 
superficial  thinking.  It  takes  facts,  true  only 
as  a  general  expression,  and  derives  particulars 
from  them.  It  likewise  applies  its  principles 
wrong-end  foremost.  It  makes  development 
govern  mind  instead  of  urging  the  true  applica- 


CAPITAL    PUNISHMENT.  291 

tion,  that  it  is  the  character  of  the  miini  that 
produces  the  pecuKarities  of  development  in  the 
body.  The  seed  produces  the  tree,  not  the  tree 
the  seed.  A  bad  spirit  produces  bad  develop- 
ments. The  law  of  creation  and  of  philosophy- 
agrees  with  the  Scriptures  that  "every  seed  pro- 
duces its  own  body,  and  'so  it  will  be  in  the  re- 
surrection.' " 

But  it  is  argued  that  murderers  dread  impri- 
sonment for  life  as  much  as  they  do  the  gallows. 
All  facts,  and  all  consciousness  in  all  men,  deny 
this  assertion.  If  this  be  true,  why  do  criminals 
and  their  friends  seek  a  commuting  of  penalty  ? 
Why  do  all  murderers  joyfully  accept  commuta- 
tion ?  Even  the  devil  concedes  the  falsehood  of 
this  statement  when  he  said,  "All  that  a  man 
hath  will  he  give  for  his  life." 

Penalty  is  designed  to  prevent  as  well  as  to 
punish  crime.  The  death-penalty  is  the  highest 
restraint  that  can  possibly  be  opposed  to  murder. 
Murder  is  unlike  all  other  crimes.  It  is  the 
crime  of  crimes:  but  it  can  never  be  distinguish- 
ed as  such  without  inflicting  upon  the  murderer 
the  highest  penalty.  By  the  death-penalty  the 
murderer  is  taught  to  value  the  life  of  others  as 
he  does  his  own.     This  is  the  golden  rule.    And 


292  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

unless  death  be  the  penalty,  a  villain  meditating 
crime  can  never  value  the  life  of  another  as  he 
does  his  own.  By  the  imprisonment-penalty  he 
is  taught  to  value  the  life  of  his  neighbor  as 
little  as  he  values  imprisonment  in  the  peniten- 
tiary. Who  dares  to  teach  murderers  this  low- 
estimate  of  life? 

It  is  said  that  facts  and  statistics  prove  that 
imprisonment  is  a  remedy  as  effectual  in  prevent- 
ing murder  as  the  death-penalty.  This  is  not 
proved;  and  I  believe  it  is  not  true.  Facts,  as 
far  as  they  go,  prove  the  contrary.  The  in- 
stances alleged  in  favor  of  abolishing  the  death- 
penalty,  those  of  Catharine  of  Russia  and  the 
government  of  Tuscany,  were  of  too  short  dura- 
tion to  prove  any  thing.  On  the  other  side,  we 
have  the  case  in  tlie  German  States,  where  the 
statistics  are  accurate,  and  sufficient  time  for  a 
fair  experiment  has  been  allowed.  The  "Con- 
versation-Lexicon," a  work  of  the  highest  au- 
thority concerning  German  topics,  says,  "Those 
States  where,  from  a  one-sided  benevolence,  the 
government  wished  to  abolish  capital  punish- 
ment, were  compelled  again  to  avail  themselves 
of  it,  and  that  on  the  ground  that  in  the  opinion 
of   men  death  is  the  greatest  of  evils,  in  prefer- 


CAPITAL  PUNISHMENT.  293 

ence  to  which  they  would  willingly  undergo  the 
most  laborious  life,  with  some  hopes  of  escape 
from  it,  because  the  death-penalty  is  the  most 
terrible  of  penalties." 

Wordsworth,  a  man  of  the  most  highly- en- 
dowed intellect,  the  purest  and  the  warmest  be- 
nevolence, in  the  London  Quarterly  Review, 
says:  "Whenever  it  appears  to  be  good  for  man- 
kind, according  to  the  arrangements  of  Provi- 
dence, that  death  should  be  inflicted  by  human 
ministration,  it  is  a  false  humility,  a  false  hu- 
manity, and  false  piety,  for  a  man  to  refuse  to 
be  the  instrument."* 

Robespierre  resigned  his  office  in  early  life 
rather  than  sign  a  warrant  for  the  execution  of 
a  criminal.  He  exhibited  a  nature  sympathetic 
to  criminals,  but  his  future  life  showed  him  to  be 
a  monster,  destitute  by  nature  of  the  sense  of 
justice. 

The  following  passage  in  Blackstone,  Book 
IV.  chap.  1.,  should  not  be  forgotten:  "In 
France  the  punishment  of  robbery,  either  with 
or  without  murder,  is  the  same  ;  hence  it  is  that 
though  perhaps  they  are  subject  to  fewer  rob- 
beries, yet  they  never  rob  but  they  also  murder. 

*  See  Cheever  on  Capital  Punishment. 


294  LIVING   QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

In  Cliina  murderers  are  cut  to  pieces,  but  rob- 
bers not ;  hence  in  that  country  they  never  mur- 
der on  the  highway,  though  they  often  rob." 
Is  not  this  satisfactory  proof  that  the  man,  or 
the  legislature,  that,  through  sympathy  with 
criminals,  aids  to  abolish  the  death-penalty, 
thereby  stimulates  villains  to  murder  the  in- 
nocent. 

If  this  is  not  sufficient,  take  a  fact  nearer 
home.  Capital  punishment  was  abolished  several 
years  since  in  Michigan.  The  grand  jury  of 
Wayne  County  in  that  State  made  a  presentment 
to  the  legislature,  in  which  they  say:  "Facts, 
we  are  informed,  have  occurred  in  our  midst, 
proving  that  some  of  the  murderers  in  this 
county  have  been  influenced  and  urged  forward 
to  their  deeds  of  wickedness,  through  the  consid- 
eration that  the  death-penalty  has  been  abolished 
from  our  penal  code." 

Much  might  be  added,  showing  that  in  the 
present  state  of  society,  imprisonment  for  life  is 
often  a  bribe  to  commit  murder;  in  other  cases 
it  is  no  penalty;  and  in  all  cases  it  places  the 
murderer  where  no  further  penalty  for  crime  is 
possible.  He  may  murder  his  keeper;  he  may 
poison  the  prison  well,  and  thus  murder  all    the 


CAPITAL    PUNISHMENT.  295 

inmates ;  liis  life  is  sacred,  and  he  is  above  law ; 
no  further  penalty  can  be  inflicted. 

The  Bible  nowhere  teaches  that  willful  mur- 
derers ever  exercise  repentance  unto  life.  "No 
murderer  hath  eternal  life  abiding  in  him." 
That  murderers  repent,  no  one  doubts.  Judas  re- 
pented and  went  to  "his  own  place."  Repen- 
tance is  either  selfish  or  holy.  If  it  is  repen- 
tance in  view  of  the  consequence  to  one's  self,  it 
produces  remorse,  or  deceives  the  mind.  Every 
criminal  repents  when  the  hand  of  the  sheriff  is 
on  his  shoulder.  This  is  forced  repentance.  It 
is  the  murderer's  repentance.  It  is  not  honest  re- 
pentance. But  it  is  "repentance  unto  death." 
Not  holy  repentance,  produced  by  faith  in 
Christ. 

Some,  I  know,  believe  that  true  repentance  in 
such  cases  is  possible.  If  it  be  possible,  the 
death-penalty  is  much  more  likely  to  produce 
repentance  than  the  penalty  of  imprisonment. 
Dr.  Webster,  the  Boston  murderer,  while  there 
was  hope  of  escape  or  commutation,  maintained 
the  falsehood  that  he  was  innocent.  When  sen- 
tence was  passed,  and  pardon  or  commutaticm 
denied,  he  became  penitent  and  truthful.  In 
"Bemis'  Report,"  of  Webster's  last  conversation 


296  LIVING    QUESTIONS    OF    THE    AGE. 

with  the  sheriff  he  says:  "All  the  proceedings 
in  my  case  have  been  just.  The  court  have  dis- 
charged their  duty.  The  law  officers  of  the 
commonwealth  did  their  duty,  and  no  more. 
The  verdict  of  the  jury  was  just.  The  sentence 
of  the  court  was  just;  and  it  is  just  that  I  should 
die  on  the  scaffold,  in  accordance  with  that 
sentence."  Thus  does  the  sentence  of  death 
when  there  is  no  hope  of  escape,  produce  in 
some  cases,  honest  repentance.  As  in  Webster's 
statement  that  his  sentence  was  just,  and  that 
he  deserved  to  die,  we  have  the  same  evidence 
given  in  many  other  cases  when  the  crime  is 
confessed.  It  is  the  decision  of  the  human  con- 
science, one  which  ought  not  to  be  violated,  that 
the  man  who  deliberately  takes  the  life  of  his 
neighbor  forfeits  his  own.  The  man  who  from 
sympathy  with  criminals,  refuses  to  award  this 
highest  penalty  to  the  highest  crime,  manifests 
a  corrupted  sympathy,  rejects  the  decisions  of 
the  conscience,  and  the  conviction  of  human 
reason  in  all  past  ages,  and  in  some  cases 
strengthens  the  hands  of  the  guilty  against  the 
innocent. 


We  have  now  traveled  over  the   Philosophi- 


CAPITAL    PUNISHMENT.  297 

cal,  tKe  Theological,  and  Reform  view  of  the 
times,  and  have  occasionally  referred  to  those 
who  are  affiliated  with  the  abnormal  moral 
movements  to  which  we  allude.  We  have  en- 
deavored to  separate  the  pure  from  the  vile,  and 
to  reject  nothing  good,  while  we  repudiated  the. 
evil.  Perhaps  we  have,  in  our  desire  to  grant 
all  that  charity  demanded,  allowed  some  things 
to  stand  as  truth,  which  the  better-informed  may 
condemn  as  error.  We  have  done  what  we 
could.  To  God  and  sincere  inquirers  we  com- 
mend the  effort. 


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of  which  there  have  been  80,000  copies  sold  It  is  highly  com- 
mended by  ministers  and  religious  men  of  every  denomination. 

"He  does  not  reason,  dogmatize,  and  debate,  but  lifts  up  the  blessed  and 
Bavins  One,  so  that  He  of  himself  can  draw  all  men  unto  Him." — Mcaminer 
and  Ch/ronicle,  N'.  Y. 

"His  views  are  strictly  evangelical,  and  they  are  expressed  with  great 
beauty  and  clearness  of  style." — ii'ew  York  Observer. 

"Not  controversial,  it  is  yet  orthodox,  and  presents  the  'One  altogether 
Lovely,'  as  revealed  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  to  the  eyes  of  the  believer." — 
If,   W.  Christiari  Advocate,  Chicago. 

"The  author  of  this  volume  has  a  design  that  commends  itself  to  all  who 
desire  the  religious  education  of  the  people.  His  book  is  the  presentation  of 
our  Saviour  and  His  religion  in  such  a  style  of  composition  and  illustration 
as  will  attract  and  secure  the  approbation  of  the  million  who  so  greatly  need 
these  hallowed  things. 

Mr.  Harsha  talks  straight  at  the  warm  heart  of  the  masses.  Without  dog- 
matisni  or  ambition;-  he  dis|)enses  the  sublime  truths  of  religion,  and  all 
who  read  his  book  with  the  spirit  that  it  is  written  with,  will  And  proflt  and 
benefit  in  the  task." — Chicago  Evening  Journal. 

"A  most  precions  book — a  book  that  .will  come  home  to  the  soul  of  the 
reader,  and  give  him  inspiring  views  of  Jesus  the  sufferer  and  mediator  for 
sinners.  It  presents  the  Cross  of  Christ  as  the  center  of  the  Christian's  hope 
and  love,  and  points  the  sinner  to  that  as  his  only  refuge  and  cure.  It  is  the 
Dook  for  the  masses,  and  if  put  in  the  right  channels  for  circulation  will  have 
an  extensive  sale  and  do  much  good." — The  Witness. 

For  sale  by  all  Booksellers,  or  sent  by  mail  for  retail  price,  by 
CLARKE   &   CO., 

Publishers,  Chicago,  TIL 


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